Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 458: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school completion programmes that are established under the social inclusion unit of her Department; the number of schools in each of these projects; the number of project workers allocated to each of these schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19111/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently 82 School Completion Programme (SCP) sites in 21 counties (108 post-primary schools and 302 primary schools) with 53 second level schools participating in the Stay in School Retention Strand (SSR) of the School Completion Programme in 17 counties, targeting approximately 23,000 young people at risk of early school leaving.

Each School Completion project employs a local Co-ordinator on a full-time basis to run the project at local level. Other personnel such as project workers, youth workers, family support workers, therapists and counsellors are employed at the discretion of each project based on the level of need of the target group.

Under the new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion, DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), 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 early leaving school is a major component of the Plan.

As a result of the identification process, 840 schools, serving communities with the highest concentrations of disadvantage, have been invited to participate in the new School Support Programme. These comprise 640 primary schools (320 urban/town schools and 320 rural schools) and 200 second-level schools.

â'¬24.7 million has been allocated to the School Completion Programme for 2006 and services will be extended to all 320 urban/town primary schools and 200 second level schools participating in the SSP not already benefiting from these services. Additional clusters will be created under the School Support Programme during the school year 2006/2007. My Department are now finalising arrangements regarding the clustering of new schools under the School Support Programme and schools will be notified shortly.