Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The funding is not just agreed on a once-off basis but rather on a multi-annual basis. I accept that projects cannot be stop-start. A local retention plan contains strategies for the whole-school, targeted strategies for individual students and those who are already outside the formal system, as referred to by the Deputy.

As we head into the holidays, this programme offers supports during holiday time in recognition of the fact that continuous support must be given to young people at risk of early school leaving. Various holiday programmes are offered in conjunction with other agencies, such as sporting and cultural activities, literacy and numeracy development programmes, art, drama and music and youth work, sports and arts camps, English language support for students for whom English is not the mother tongue, science camps, familiarisation days and week-long transfer programmes for new entrants to second level schools to smooth their transition to the new school. An issue identified as being a particular problem for students from the most disadvantaged areas is the fear of moving into a second level school. Up to 800 children, aged between seven and 11, will in July and August attend summer literacy camps which aim to help those with literacy difficulties learn through art, dance, music and drama. The 20 summer camps have been organised and funded by the Department. Increased access will be provided to the 200 second level and 320 urban and town primary schools in SCP to a range of academic and non-academic supports based in-school, after school, out-of-school and during holiday time, based on best practices identified through the school completion programme.

There are currently 82 school completion programme sites in 21 counties, involving 108 post-primary schools and 302 primary schools, with 53 second level schools in the stay in school retention strand. That is in 17 counties, targeting approximately 23,000 young people at risk of early school leaving. In total, €24.7 million has been allocated by my Department to the school completion programme for 2006.

One might have got the impression from Deputy Shortall that the only amount of money being given for the project was in the region of €35,000. Some €402,000 was given to the school completion programme in Ballymun. That is on top of the extra supports which all those schools have by way of home school, community liaison, resource teachers etc. It is a very good school completion programme providing general support for almost 1,600 primary students and approximately 600 post-primary students. Intensive targeted supports are provided for 201 primary students and 52 post-primary students. It also caters for the six pupils particularly mentioned by the Deputy.

The school completion programme has submitted its retention plan for the coming year, which outlines all its proposed activities for the coming year, including the estimated cost of retaining the support for the six pupils who are out of school in the "school group." It is not just a case of looking for €35,000. They are looking for that on top of the €402,000.

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