James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. The school completion programme aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle, and to improve the school attendance, participation and retention of its target cohort. It is a targeted intervention aimed at school communities identified through the DEIS action plan of the Department of Education and Skills. It involves 124 projects and related initiatives operating in 470 primary and 224 post-primary schools.

These projects provide a range of supports and interventions designed to support approximately 36,000 children identified by local management committees as being at risk of educational disadvantage. Typically, projects offer homework clubs, breakfast clubs, mentoring programmes, learning support, social and personal development programmes, out-of-school supports including music, art and sports, and a range of activities during holiday periods.

Since 1 January 2014, the Child and Family Agency has had operational responsibility for the school completion programme, including the allocation of funds to local projects. In 2014, an allocation of €24.756 million was provided for the school completion programme, and the agency has indicated a similar allocation for the programme in 2015. It has also approved the plans of local school retention projects for the 2014-15 academic year. The first two instalments of 2014-15 funding have issued to local projects, with a third instalment planned this month.

The Deputy may be aware that a review of the school completion programme by the ESRI is almost complete. The review is an important initiative for planning for the future development of the school completion programme. It will assist in identifying the reforms necessary to consolidate the programme on a suitable footing for the future. The review is being overseen by a steering committee involving officials of the Child and Family Agency, my Department and the Department of Education and Skills. It will, among other things, examine the school completion programme structures and their fitness for purpose to support an integrated approach to address early school leaving. It will analyse the interventions provided and make recommendations for evidence-informed supports designed to secure the best educational outcomes for young people. It is envisaged that its final report will be delivered very shortly. The Minister for Education and Skills recently published an evaluation of the DEIS programme, which was also prepared by the ESRI and which refers to the school completion programme as an integral support within DEIS in improving attendance and engagement in education.

I have advised Tusla of my commitment to ensuring there is no diminution in the services provided by the school completion programme, which is an important constituent part of the agency's educational welfare services. As the Deputy and many other Deputies on all sides of the House before him have pointed out, it is a highly regarded programme and, as such, is a key method of securing improved educational outcomes for children and young people at risk of early school leaving. We all know that the outcome of early school leaving is reduced opportunities in later life.

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