Political parties have been called on to prioritise adult education in their pre-election manifestos.
AONTAS, the National Adult Education Association, said it would "closely examine" the positions of all political parties in relation to policy on lifelong learning in the run-up to the election.
The organisation has been engaged in a pre-election "Three Rs" campaign aimed at securing political support for its demands for better recognition, more resources and improved representation for adult education.
With an estimated 500,000 people engaged in various forms of lifelong learning, AONTAS says that the whole area of adult education has become a major political issue for their member organisations.
Speaking at the AONTAS AGM in Dublin today Ms Berni Brady, the organisation's director said progress had been made in recent years but "much remained to be done in terms of delivery" of the investment commitments made by the Government.
She said "our network of organisations across the country are seeking commitments from candidates that they are committed to building the adult education service."
AONTAS's investment priorities include free access for all to upper second-level education under the Back to Education initiative, investment of €20 million per year for Community Education and a major increase in funding for the National Adult Literacy Programme.
The group is also calling for the abolition of fees for adult students on part-time, distance and modular courses.