Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this matter and the Minister for Health for coming in to respond.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I am the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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I beg the Minister's pardon.

The school completion programme, first introduced by a Fianna Fáil Government in 2002, has been identified as a model of best practice by the EU and the OECD as a targeted programme that increases retention rates in schools and reduces educational disadvantage. Unfortunately, under the current Government the programme has not received adequate recognition, support or funding. It was moved from the Department of Education and Skills, where it was initially set up within the social inclusion unit as part of the DEIS programme, to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs when that Department was established. Since then it has been moved to Tusla, very much removed from the Department under whose remit it should be, as an educational intervention, and in which it could be properly co-ordinated.

As the Minister is aware, the aim of the programme is to retain young people in the formal education system to complete senior cycle and to improve attendance and participation rates throughout primary and secondary school. It is involved with 124 projects across the country in 470 primary schools and 220 post-primary schools, which is almost one third of our secondary schools. Over the last number of years, the programme has seen a 25% reduction in its budget. That has put significant pressure on school completion programmes as regards continuing the range of activities they had been providing and ensuring they are well placed to continue making inroads into school completion and educational outcomes. Many of the key extra-curricular programmes, including those at holiday times, have had to be curtailed.

There is much concern at this stage about the future plans for the school completion programme within Tusla. There is no certainty about what the budget will be for the next academic year starting in September. The plans normally issued in February have not yet been issued by Tusla for submission by the school completion programmes. A real issue of concern is what the plans are for next year and subsequent years.

I ask the Minister for a number of commitments. Will he commit, as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, to enter discussions with the Minister for Education and Skills with a view to putting the school completion programme back where it is best served and best placed, which is the Department of Education and Skills? Will he also commit to supporting the expansion of the programme? It has been identified as being successful, most recently in an ESRI review of the DEIS programme. Will he commit to expanding further this successful model? Will he also commit to implementing no further cuts to the school completion programme in the academic year starting this coming September?

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for his question. The school completion programme aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle, and to improve the school attendance, participation and retention of its target cohort. It is a targeted intervention aimed at school communities identified through the DEIS action plan of the Department of Education and Skills. It involves 124 projects and related initiatives operating in 470 primary and 224 post-primary schools.

These projects provide a range of supports and interventions designed to support approximately 36,000 children identified by local management committees as being at risk of educational disadvantage. Typically, projects offer homework clubs, breakfast clubs, mentoring programmes, learning support, social and personal development programmes, out-of-school supports including music, art and sports, and a range of activities during holiday periods.

Since 1 January 2014, the Child and Family Agency has had operational responsibility for the school completion programme, including the allocation of funds to local projects. In 2014, an allocation of €24.756 million was provided for the school completion programme, and the agency has indicated a similar allocation for the programme in 2015. It has also approved the plans of local school retention projects for the 2014-15 academic year. The first two instalments of 2014-15 funding have issued to local projects, with a third instalment planned this month.

The Deputy may be aware that a review of the school completion programme by the ESRI is almost complete. The review is an important initiative for planning for the future development of the school completion programme. It will assist in identifying the reforms necessary to consolidate the programme on a suitable footing for the future. The review is being overseen by a steering committee involving officials of the Child and Family Agency, my Department and the Department of Education and Skills. It will, among other things, examine the school completion programme structures and their fitness for purpose to support an integrated approach to address early school leaving. It will analyse the interventions provided and make recommendations for evidence-informed supports designed to secure the best educational outcomes for young people. It is envisaged that its final report will be delivered very shortly. The Minister for Education and Skills recently published an evaluation of the DEIS programme, which was also prepared by the ESRI and which refers to the school completion programme as an integral support within DEIS in improving attendance and engagement in education.

I have advised Tusla of my commitment to ensuring there is no diminution in the services provided by the school completion programme, which is an important constituent part of the agency's educational welfare services. As the Deputy and many other Deputies on all sides of the House before him have pointed out, it is a highly regarded programme and, as such, is a key method of securing improved educational outcomes for children and young people at risk of early school leaving. We all know that the outcome of early school leaving is reduced opportunities in later life.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Some of the language used in the Minister's response concerns me. On the ESRI review to be published shortly, the Minister indicated that he hoped it would assist in identifying the reforms necessary to consolidate the programme on a sustainable footing for the future. This is certainly not the language of someone who plans to expand the programme and bring the positive impact it has had in communities where it has been delivered into other areas where similar interventions are required. The language of consolidation, unfortunately, is very different from the language of expansion, which is what we need to do with this programme. As I mentioned, the ESRI report into the effectiveness of DEIS has shown that intervention in vulnerable communities with children at risk of falling out of the education system actually works, and this should be continued. I hope the ESRI review, which we cannot prejudge, will back up the fact that the school completion programme has been an important element in this regard.

In his reply, will the Minister comment on his personal view of the place of the school completion programme and its effectiveness and contribution to radically improving outcomes and retention rates in schools? Will he also comment on the suitability of its current placement in Tusla? Does he agree that it should be put back where it started and where it is best placed, which is under the Department of Education Skills and the DEIS programme? Will the Minister also give assurance that the templates for the school completion programme plans for this coming September will be issued promptly? We he also give an assurance on funding for these programmes for the coming September and the new academic year?

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Minister has two minutes to answer all of those questions.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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With due respect, there were many "alsos" at the end. In his earlier contribution, the Deputy asked me to commit to talking to the Minister for Education and Skills about the appropriate location for the programme and about sending it back to that Department. He then asked me to commit to expanding the funding. There is a little contradiction in that.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Both can be achieved.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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If it is gone from the Department I can hardly influence it.

With regard to the current location of the programme, I do not have a closed mind, but it is a very important programme and one that I strongly support. Its value is very much proven. I await the ESRI report, which I hope will vindicate my sense, and that of many Deputies in the House, of its value. Education is critical for opportunities in later life and we want to encourage children to stay the course and stay in school until they reach their 18th birthday at least.

Different things appeal to different children, and this programme has been very good at identifying those interests and using them to lead children back into the education system. The Deputy may feel the programme properly belongs in the Department of Education and Skills, but I point out that learning support, mentoring programmes, personal development programmes, social programmes and out-of-school supports all sit well where they are, and there is a huge amount of combined action with Foróige and Youthreach with regard to how these children are supported in staying in school. I do not have a closed mind, as I stated, but I certainly believe the programme should continue, and it needs to be expanded to wherever it is required and needed.

This year, we had no further cuts in our services in the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The reason these programmes had to be cut was the financial disaster that befell this country.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister chose to do so. The Minister is going off topic.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I did not interrupt Deputy Charlie McConalogue. That he does not like what he hears does not make it less of a fact.

Acting Chairman (Deputy Olivia Mitchelll):

The next topic is shared between Deputies Barry Cowen, Martin Ferris and Stanley.