Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is teachers who are responsible for rolling out the school completion programme. Teachers are under the remit of the Minister for Education and Skills. It is the view of teachers that it would be better for the programme to be back with the Department of Education and Skills where it was when it was set up in 2002 until 2014.

Teachers are in a great position to refer those children who need the programme to Tusla. We know the increasing load on the scheme completion programme in working with children in homeless accommodation, refugee children and Traveller children because the Traveller teacher numbers have also been cut. There is a logistical aspect to this. Are we creating another level of bureaucracy for schools already overloaded with bureaucracy, policies and plans by having the school completion programme under the Department of Children and Youth Affairs? Logic and reason dictates that if teachers are rolling out a programme, then it should be with the Department of Education and Skills.

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