Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I thank the Senator. I am taking this Adjournment debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald.

Senator Cullinane has had a long involvement with community services in Waterford and I listened carefully to what he had to say. I am therefore pleased to take this opportunity to update the Seanad on the work of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to address educational disadvantage and the provision made for the Ballybeg community education project under the school completion programme, or as it is known generally, the SCP.

I acknowledge the valuable work of Ballybeg community education project. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs recognises the contribution of the project to improving educational outcomes for children at risk of educational disadvantage. The project delivers community-based after-school support to primary and post-primary students. In this respect it shares much in common with other SCP projects, including its holistic educational objectives, a local management structure and a child-centred approach to addressing local needs. It is for these reasons the Department is working to ensure that the services provided can be further consolidated and enhanced within the SCP, under the DEIS framework.

The Government is committed to supporting the educational attainment of children and young people from disadvantaged communities through a variety of formal and informal educational support services. The Department's recently published statement of strategy defines its vision, values and objectives and explains how it will lead the effort to improve outcomes for children and young people. In this regard the Department of Children and Youth Affairs is working strategically to co-ordinate and consolidate its programmes, maximise efficiencies and ensure it works from an evidence base in the interests of children and young people. This involves examining existing services within communities to maximise synergies and efficiencies while, at the same time, minimising the potential for overlap among services which have, in essence, the same objectives.

It is in this context that officials have communicated the requirement to achieve a greater level of local service integration to a range of local projects funded under the SCP, including those in Waterford city. Similarly, officials of the Department have also recently met with the providers of services under the special projects for youth scheme, or SPY, in Waterford. Providers were encouraged to examine their provision of services to ensure the optimum use of the available resources.

As the Senator will be aware, the comprehensive expenditure report identified the requirement for savings of 6.5% per annum over the period 2012-14 in the SCP. As a first step towards identifying efficiencies and other necessary reforms, the Department is working with the National Educational Welfare Board, NEWB, and the Department of Education and Skills to complete a review of the programme this year. This review will enhance the process of integrating all SCP initiatives. I apologise, there are so many acronyms for a broad range of items in this script. It is extraordinary how they are invented.

I return to the point I was making. This review will enhance the process of integrating all SCP initiatives within a national approach to attendance, participation and retention under the board's remit. In the present financial climate it is therefore not feasible to ring-fence funding or insulate any project from the necessary reforms. However, it is not expected that there will be any significant adjustments to the programme this year, beyond those measures already communicated to projects.

The NEWB is responsible for the operational management, development and direction of the SCP, along with the educational welfare and home-school-community liaison services. As part of this work the board is assisting projects to enhance the planning, targeting and co-ordination of services. I understand the NEWB has been in contact with projects in Waterford in this regard. The objective is to consolidate the work of local programmes and ensure that evidence-based services can continue into the future on a sustainable basis. Officials from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs have been in contact with the local co-ordinator in Ballybeg and arrangements have been made to meet the project's local management in the coming week. The

Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, has requested the chief executive officer of the NEWB. I apologise, this is a serious issue and I would not like anybody to take it that I am not taking it seriously but if I confront another set of initials for an organisation I will probably collapse. They should spell out what they are talking about.

The Minister has requested the CEO of the NEWB to engage with this process to ensure a positive outcome is achieved through a structured and co-ordinated interaction. She looks forward to developments in this regard. I appreciate that Senator Cullinane's concerns in regard to this issue are serious. I will draw to the attention of the Minister the specific comments he made in the Seanad today. In so far as he has concerns about the continuation of the project, I will ensure she communicates with the Senator in that regard.