Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Scanlon for raising this issue. It is our desire that parents and children should have the best pathway possible available to them. I see from the statistics in respect of County Leitrim that while last year no children from County Leitrim participated in the leaving certificate applied, the previous year 11 children took part. It is not that no school is offering it. Where children seek it in a school that provides it they obviously will be provided with the option. The Department has not imposed cutbacks in any way in this area - far from it. A school that decides to take on the leaving certificate applied gets an additional allocation of half a teaching post regardless of the number of children who take it on. We have taken steps to ensure there is resourcing available for schools to take this on. Notwithstanding that, it is true that about one third of all schools offer the leaving certificate applied. It is not every school, by any means, but it is available and they get the premium staffing resource to allow them to deliver it. We do not compel schools to provide it. We do not have the legal power to compel schools to run particular items of curriculum apart from elements of the curriculum that are compulsory. We do not have that power. It is up to the local schools to decide, based on the needs and desires of their pupils, to provide this programme. We provide a substantial incentive to support them in providing that programme.

It is correct, as the Deputy says, that there has been some decline in participation, which is down from 5.8% in 2010 to 4.7%. The NCCA is reviewing this, along with the rest of the leaving certificate, to see if provision in this area is appropriate to the needs of all children who are offering to participate in the leaving certificate programme. We will look specifically at things that may be discouraging participation such as its standing with employers. We will also look at the pathways. It is hoped that the leaving certificate applied can provide a pathway into post-leaving certificate courses, traineeship and other options so that it is an attractive pathway.

4 o’clock

However, we do not do what the Deputy has suggested and impose an obligation on schools to provide the leaving certificate applied programme. It is the responsibility of each school to decide the matter based on its student composition. If the Deputy wishes to draw attention to a particular case though, I would be happy to get the advice of appropriate agencies in the Department for him and the family concerned.

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