James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There have been articles in the media about the school completion programme funding and the reductions in funding that have taken place in recent years. Media coverage has focused particularly on the ability of some local school completion programme projects to provide school breakfasts and more generally the impact on school attendance. The Child and Family Agency works closely with local management committees, schools and local school completion programme co-ordinators to assist projects to deliver their services to young people in disadvantaged areas having regard to the resources available to them. It is important to note that it is a matter for the local school completion programme projects and individual schools to determine the range of supports they prioritise for pupils within the resources made available to them under the programme. The aim of the review is to examine those things that work well and those that do not work so well to see if they could be improved and ensure the money is spent in a way that gives maximum benefit for the children and achieves our goal of keeping as many children as possible in school for as long as possible in order that they can complete their education and reach their full potential.

The review will look at what works well and examine what does not work so well and see if it can be improved. It is also to ensure the money is spent in a way that gives maximum benefit to the children and achieves our goal of keeping as many children in school for as long as possible so that they can complete their education and reach their full potential. The review has been carried out by the ESRI so it brings a degree of independence and rigour in which we can all have confidence. It is not intended to be used as a way of reducing the funding of these programmes but rather to ensure we get the maximum benefit for children from them.