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

I am conscious that the school completion programme continues to deliver a valuable service for some of our most vulnerable young people. Currently, the SCP receives annual funding of €24.7 million. My Department works with the Educational Welfare Services, EWS, to ensure that necessary resources are available to support this programme and to ensure staffing levels are sufficient to deliver a high quality service for those young people most at risk of early school leaving.

However, a number of long-term complex issues continue to exist in regard to both the governance and the staffing of the programme. In recognition of the need for a strong policy platform for EWS, including the SCP, I requested that my officials establish a task group to support the further development and integration of these services. The work of this group is near completion and I am eager to ensure that the output will result in a clear blueprint for the development of the three strands of the EWS, which include the SCP. A consultation event on the blueprint was held on 10 June - I was present for some of it myself - where those working with vulnerable young people as part of the EWS were able to express their views and help shape the policy blueprint prior to its publication.

As part of the implementation of the actions contained in the blueprint, I have requested that a new SCP scheme be scoped out and developed to ensure that its reach, resources and impact are maximised in supporting young people. I am also continuing to examine options in respect of the employment status of SCP co-ordinators and project workers. In budget 2019, I secured an additional €500,000 in funding for the EWS and the alternative education assessment and registration service. I will continue to lead on advancing supports both in policy and provision in this crucial area.

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