To effectively address unmet adult literacy, numeracy and digital literacy needs in Ireland we need to work at many different levels. We do this by:

• Learning from research;
• Listening to learners;
• Writing evidenced based policy papers and submissions;
• Building relationships; and
• Working in partnership with Government and their agencies, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Department of Education, Education and Training Boards (ETBs), SOLAS and others.

In 2020, NALA called for, and secured, a commitment in the Programme for Government to develop and implement a new 10-year strategy for adult literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy skills.

Following this, Simon Harris TD, Minister for Further and Higher Education tasked SOLAS, the further education and training authority, with the development of the strategy. The new strategy, Adult Literacy for Life, was launched in September 2021.

NALA believes that all citizens should have fair and equal access to all public services, that are delivered in a literacy friendly way. It involves the organisation including and respecting its staff and customers. It encourages commitment to delivering services in a literacy friendly way by removing literacy-related barriers to access, participation and achievement.

NALA policy work advocates that family literacy is developed within the contexts of all adult education and community services as well as the national literacy strategy for children.   This would enable schools, community and adult education providers work with parents to combat educational disadvantage for children and adults.

A recent report on Family Literacy Practices in ETBs (2020) recommends:

• An interdepartmental government group on family literacy should be set up to steer the development of national family literacy policy. The group should be representative of practitioners, community stakeholders and family literacy experts. There should be family literacy champions and the strategy should encourage the equality outcomes that intergenerational learning can deliver.
• Collaborative family literacy partnerships should be developed in order to facilitate a more systematic approach to family literacy. These would allow FET, DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), public libraries and CYPSCs (Children and Young People’s Services Committees) to develop provision that harnesses all their skills, resources and contacts with parents who will most benefit from family literacy initiatives. These core groups should meet with other stakeholders and develop a local, needs-based family literacy strategy. Other stakeholders will need to participate less frequently and as local circumstances dictate. The partnership building process should be financially resourced and supported.
• Additional staff should be employed in outreach, brokerage and development of family literacy provision in each ETB area.