Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The ESRI review, to which the Deputy refers was, as she is aware, conducted in 2015. It recognised the important role that the school completion programme plays in working with children at risk of dropping out of school. However, the review also highlighted the need for a fit for purpose structure with effective governance and employment models in place. The report suggested that the governance and employment structures adopted by Tusla will be key in meeting the future objectives of the programme nationally.

Following the ESRI review Tusla commissioned an employment audit, which is what the Deputy's question is about, to be carried out to examine the issues raised in the review. The employment audit pointed to important issues regarding the employment status of the school completion programme staff around the country. For example, some 55% of staff had no employment contract or inappropriate employment contracts.

In response to the employment audit, Tusla's educational welfare service undertook a series of initial steps to address these matters. First, a specialist firm was contracted to provide human resources and industrial relations advice and support to the local management committee chairpersons and school completion programme co-ordinators. This firm is providing an ongoing 24/7 service via phone. Second, a suite of appropriate contract templates was developed by a specialist human resource firm, to be used by the local management committees for the various full and part-time positions on school completion programmes. Third, governance training for local management committees and school completion programme co-ordinators has been provided by The Wheel, which is now complete. Fourth, Foróige was contracted to conduct a staff learning needs analysis. This was followed by a continuous professional development programme in response to the training needs identified. Foróige also provided day to day management of the school completion programme nationally on behalf of Tusla's educational welfare service for a short period. This was to allow Tusla to reinforce the structure of its educational welfare service by hiring additional resources.

The board of Tusla has also considered a number of other options to address the governance and employment issues. An expert panel has been put in place to consider those options in detail and it will be reporting to me in due course.

See this speech in context