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

I thank the Minister for her reply. I have been contacted by school completion programme co-ordinators who are concerned about the audit and about not having heard fully from the audit people as to what is envisaged. There are rumours about closures and amalgamations. They are into the holiday season now and will return at the end of August. I want to acknowledge the great work the school completion programmes do and the gaps they filled in the recession years when there was a loss of language teachers and visiting and resource teachers for Travellers and the way in which they supported after-school clubs, business in the community and team parenting programmes. I sometimes wonder when audits are carried out by outside agencies if they get a good sense of the work that is being done on the ground, particularly given that we are talking about very disadvantaged areas. Is the Minister committed to the school completion programme as a strategy to address educational disadvantage?

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