It's estimated that there are half a million people in Ireland who struggle in some way with reading, writing and simple maths.

Veteran broadcaster and journalist Charlie Bird has been involved with the promotion of International Literacy Day, as someone who grew up with dyslexia.

Charlie particularly struggled with maths at school. He says, "You get into a cycle. I failed my Leaving Cert because of that. As a result, I never passed any exam in my life."

Despite this, and his additional difficulty with spelling, Charlie eventually managed to break into a career as a researcher at RTE.

"As a researcher it didn't matter so much about your spelling. When I joined the RTE newsroom I carried a dictionary, and if I got stuck on a word I would look it up."

He says there is "absolutely no doubt" that it affected his confidence when he was younger. But he also emphasises that there is no shame, and that the weight can be lifted.

He recommends getting in contact with the National Adult Literacy Agency: "For me, the most important message is that there's help out there. Just pick up the phone."

To catch the full chat press the play button on the image on the top of the screen