Brendan Ryan (Dublin North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish my constituency colleague, the new Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy James Reilly, well in his new post. If the Minister for Education and Skills has a moment to spare, this issue crosses over into her remit and I would appreciate if she could bear with us.

As the school holidays kick in and staff and students take a well-earned rest after another school year, this is an opportune time to take stock and begin planning for the upcoming school year. We must also acknowledge that there are children all over the country in primary and secondary schools who are still in education due in no small part to the school completion programme, SCP. The programme was set up as part of the Department of Education and Skills’s delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, strategy. Its aim is to increase the numbers of young people staying in primary and secondary school and in doing so to improve the numbers of pupils who successfully complete the senior cycle or the equivalent.

The SCP operates in 470 primary schools and 224 post-primary schools. There are 124 local school completion projects employing 248 full-time, 627 part-time and 2,211 sessional and other staff. It focuses on targeting and providing supports to young people most at risk of early school-leaving. It involves identifying and supporting children at risk of not reaching their potential in the educational system because of poor attendance, participation and retention. It does this via initiatives such as breakfast clubs, homework clubs, after-school supports, mentoring programmes and therapeutic interventions. The programme works to ensure the schools have in place the appropriate procedures to monitor, identify and respond to attendance, participation and retention issues. One key potential crisis point for any vulnerable child is the move from primary to secondary school. The SCP works to implement transfer programmes to support young people making that transition.

The SCP is highly valuable but it does not seem to be highly valued. The scheme targets vulnerable children most at risk of falling out of education. I have spoken to SCP officers who deal with very difficult situations, such as children of families who cannot afford new shoes, or to purchase uniforms. Many children in this programme would not have breakfast before going to school, nor would they have a packed lunch in their bags or money to buy lunch. They do not have money for school books in many cases. Many deal with difficult circumstances at home. It is therefore vital that these children are given every support to stay in education. The scheme has been cut by approximately 33% since 2008. There are concerns about a further 6.5% cut this September. I ask that any cuts due to be implemented this coming school year be halted until the current programme review of the SCP has been completed. An answer I received to a parliamentary question put in May to the previous Minister for Children and Youth Affairs stated:

It is anticipated that the review will assist in identifying the reforms necessary to consolidate the programme on a sustainable footing for the future and ensure that available funds are targeted to those services which provide the greatest contribution to educational outcomes for pupils at risk of educational disadvantage.

My concern and that of SCP officers is that this review will further reduce the role of the SCP without putting in place any kind of replacement scheme. Will the Minister urgently examine the potential reductions in funding for the SCP before the summer ends with a view to putting a halt to any cut due for the upcoming school year? The review is taking place and it is only fair that no further cuts hit the scheme before it is finalised.

See this speech in context