Less than one in eight school leavers in some parts of north Dublin progress to third level education, the Northside Partnership has claimed.
The body said that this statistic compares unfavourably to the rest of the capital, where almost half of all secondary graduates advance to third level.
Northside Partnership education co-ordinator Noel Kelly said students from the Northside are also statistically less likely to go to college than students in the rest of the Republic.
The organisation today unveiled its Education Trust Scholarships for 2005/2006. The scheme supports students from low-income families in the Northside Partnership area and encourages them to progress to further education.
Fourteen students have received scholarships this year, and 23 have benefited since the scheme began in 2002. Over €110,000 has been raised for the trust, and the majority of this has been donated by local businesses.
Speaking at the presentation of the scholarships this afternoon, Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin said the Government is providing €600 million this year "for measures specifically directed at addressing educational disadvantage at all levels."
"The National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education is also consulting with the universities and the institutes of technology on how to improve access opportunities for students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds," she added.