Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 641: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of people employed by her Department in Limerick City in the home school community liaison scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34559/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Home/School/Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) is a major mainstream preventative strategy targeted at pupils at risk of not reaching their potential in the educational system because of background characteristics which tend to affect adversely pupil attainment and school retention. The scheme is concerned with establishing partnership and collaboration between parents and teachers in the interests of children's learning. It focuses directly on the salient adults in children's educational lives and seeks indirect benefits for the children themselves.

There are currently 14 primary schools and 4 post-primary schools included in the HSCL scheme in Limerick City which have the services of 12 co-ordinators to work with school staff, parents and relevant community agencies in advancing the educational interests of children. Each co-ordinator acts as a link between home and school, encouraging parents to become more involved in their children's education. The co-ordinator organises locally based activities aimed at encouraging greater contact between parents and teachers and liaises with local voluntary and statutory groups in the area. A Co-ordinator usually services more that one school in an area.

Under DEIS, the new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion, HSCL services will be extended to the 203 post primary and 338 urban/town primary schools, serving communities with the highest concentration of disadvantage, that do not currently have the service. The whole rationale behind the new DEIS programme is to ensure that the most disadvantaged schools benefit from all of the available supports.