Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In the last few budgets there were cuts to the LINK school completion programme. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs will be aware that the service provided under the programme is for the most vulnerable children in the care of schools. It is invaluable for so many young people - young children, in particular - who come from deprived backgrounds, the Travelling community and so forth. The programme should be continued as it allows children aged eight to 15 years an opportunity to complete their education. In some cases, they go on to third level education.

The early school leaving initiative was expanded in 2002 under the school completion programme to include four to 18 year olds. In 2006 the DEIS programme further expanded the school completion programme. The north Kerry school completion programme employs a full-time co-ordinator, two full-time outreach workers and engages the services of third level students to deliver in school, after school, out of school and holiday supports to increase the level of student attendance. The amount of work they have done and the number of children they have saved are very well illustrated in the 2009-14 figures covering a five year school cycle. Some 406 children went through this cycle and the dropout figure was eight. Of these eight students, two were home-schooled, one took up an apprenticeship, two engaged with outreach services, two did nothing, while one left the country. In respect of the 2014 figures, covering a five year period, there were 333 students and the dropout number was 31, two of whom ended up in prison. As a result of the services they had received under the school completion programme, the rest found a meaningful way to contribute to society. Will the Minister continue to fund the programme and assure the House that there will be no cut in the next budget?

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