Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy mentioned the very real issue of children dropping out after first year. The Economic and Social Research Institute analysed the experiences of first year students in post-primary education in 2004 and highlighted the children at risk. Arising from this analysis we are targeting particular effective transfer programmes. This year I allocated an additional 100 guidance counsellors to schools, 60 or 70 of whom have already been appointed with the remaining number to go to the designated disadvantaged schools at the top of the list following the survey. I have specifically asked that their work should target the transfer, the children coming into first year and junior level students, not just those in fifth and sixth year, to ensure they are getting the support.

The work the school completion programme is doing is also being concentrated on those children so they make the transfer. We hope once we have the database, that will make it easier to get the kind of information needed in certain areas. We do not have national data and it is wrong to simply keep estimating. We need the evidence. The Deputy is correct but I am satisfied there have been major improvements.

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