Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 173: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the drop-out rate from schools in poorer areas is a crisis; and the way in which she proposes to address same. [32815/05]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 180: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the efforts she is taking to address educational disadvantage, in particular in relation to the high school drop-out rates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32739/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 173 and 180 together.

Given the clear link between early school leaving and continued socio-economic disadvantage in adult life, the Government is determined to do all that is possible to ensure that every child gets all the opportunities and support they need to enable them to complete their education.

To this end, we are providing increased resources for schools in disadvantaged areas to improve their school completion rates by offering extra supports for their students. These include extra educational supports and services such as breakfast clubs and homework supports. Working with parents to promote school attendance is also an important part of the work of the home school community liaison officers appointed to our disadvantaged schools.

Other measures designed to improve school completion include the establishment of the National Educational Welfare Board in 2002 with a remit to monitor school attendance, help parents to get a school place for their child and run promotional campaigns on the importance of finishing school. The priority that this Government attaches to tackling early school leaving is evident from the fact that the budget for the welfare board has been increased by 20% in 2005.

A total of €24 million is being provided this year for the school completion programme, which is one of our key interventions to combat early school leaving and educational disadvantage and is developing strong links between primary and post-primary schools in disadvantaged areas. In addition, my Department supports youth encounter projects, YEPs, which provide educational facilities to young people who have become alienated from the conventional school system.

Increased integration will also be promoted between the work of second level schools and centres catering for young early school leavers, particularly Youthreach centres and senior Traveller training centres.

Under the new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS, which I launched in May, additional supports are being targeted at children in the most disadvantaged schools to encourage them to stay in school. The key principle of early intervention to identify and help children at risk of leaving school early is a major component of the plan.

Under DEIS, additional clusters will be created under the school completion programme which provides a wide range of targeted supports on an individual and group basis to children and young people who may be at risk of early school leaving. The services of the home school community liaison scheme will also be extended and a continuing emphasis will be placed on the development of effective transfer programmes by building on the existing work of the HSCL scheme and the school completion programme. An additional guidance counselling provision, being made available for second level schools having the highest concentrations of disadvantage, will also assist to increase retention rates.

We anticipate being in a position to notify participating schools in relation to the outcome of the ongoing identification process under DEIS by the end of the year. I am committed to ensuring our policies strive to increase the retention rate of students in our schools.