The Government's adult literacy goals were condemned during an award ceremony at Dublin Castle yesterday.
Cori (Council of Religious in Ireland) justice director Fr Seán Healy criticised the State's target to reduce adult illiteracy to 10 to 15 per cent of the population by 2016. Currently, 25 per cent of adults have problems with everyday literacy tasks such as reading the instructions on a bottle of medicine or a packet of food.
The target will still leave half a million people of working age with serious literacy difficulties, said Fr Healy. "It is illogical, unambitious and unacceptable; it suggests a complete lack of interest by Government in seriously addressing the adult literacy problem.
"Even if this target is achieved, it means that Government accepts as okay that there will be between 320,000 and 475,000 people with basic literacy problems in Ireland in the working age group in 2016. Such an outcome would be contrary to the basic principles of social justice."
Fr Healy was speaking at the Adults Continuing Education Awards organised by the National Adult Literacy Agency.
A 10-year economic boom had not changed the situation of Irish adults with reading difficulties, he said.
"This is totally unacceptable in a society which, for the first time in its history, has the resources to tackle these problems effectively and comprehensively."
Good social policies were required if economic development was to be sustained, Fr Healy said.
"If Ireland's economic and social situation is to improve, Ireland's labour force must be upskilled and educated to play a full part in such development.
"If the Government's target on literacy is achieved - and targets are not always reached - then 10 to 15 per cent of Ireland's labour force will have serious literacy difficulties in 2016."
The low literacy level would impact on Ireland's economic development and contribute to high unemployment levels, high poverty rates and substantial social exclusion, he added.