Mr. Terry Corcoran:

There is the question of those who are under 18. The Department tends to get people when they are 18 because they are entitled to jobseeker's assistance from then. Up to the age of 18 it is likely that any implementation plan responsibility would be seen as lying with the Department of Education and Skills. In Ireland currently there is an offer of free secondary education up to the age of 18 and the completion of senior cycle. Separately, there is a small proportion of people who drop out before that age, and the main provision is through the Department of Education and Skills in the form of Youthreach, which has been referred to already by several speakers. It is run through VECs - now the education and training boards - with community training workshops operating a similar model to that which has been funded to date through FÁS. It will now effectively be integrated into the education and training boards as well. Examining the number of young people who drop out before that age and the range of provision through Youthreach and community training workshops, it seems that for those falling into great difficulty there are substantial levels of provision between workshops, Youthreach and a few other programmes for people who drop. That issue will be addressed.