Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 514: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has received a request from a project (details supplied) in County Kilkenny for a roll number; if the roll number will be issued to the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6417/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The School Completion Programme which, until now, has operated in 82 sites nationally, is in the process of being extended to all urban/town primary schools and second-level schools participating in DEIS, the new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion which are not already benefiting from these services during 2006/2007 school year. Forty three additional clusters (including both primary and second-level schools) will be created during the 2006/2007 school year and thirty eight existing SCP clusters will also be altered to include new schools participating under DEIS. A total of 691 schools (227 post primary and 464 primary) will have the services of the School Completion Programme under DEIS.

SCP Projects are managed by a local management committee, comprising representatives of schools and other relevant agencies and are required to engage in a consultative and planning process with the school staff, with parents and with local representatives of relevant statutory, voluntary and community agencies in the development of annual retention plans. They must devise a collaborative programme of in-school and out-of-school actions that will prevent early school leaving and support young people with characteristics and behaviour that are indicative of real risk. Allocations to projects are based on annual retention plans submitted to my Department for approval.

The SCP project to which the Deputy refers has operated in five schools in Kilkenny since 2002/2003, with a further 3 post primary schools being included in this project under DEIS in 2006/2007. Each of these schools has been assigned an individual roll number, however, roll numbers are not assigned to School Completion Programme Projects. If the Deputy has a specific query in relation to this project I will endeavour to provide more detailed information.

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 515: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has considered correspondence dated 9 February 2007 from schools (details supplied) in County Cork regarding the DEIS action plan and the expansion of the existing programme from two to five schools; when action will be taken in order that the existing schools, new schools and the schools completion programme can plan summer programmes and events. [6418/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The School Completion Programme which, until now, has operated in 82 sites nationally, is in the process of being extended to all urban/town primary schools and second-level schools participating in DEIS, the new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion which are not already benefiting from these services during 2006/2007 school year. Forty three additional clusters (including both primary and second-level schools) will be created during the 2006/2007 school year and thirty eight existing SCP clusters will also be altered to include new schools participating under DEIS. A total of 691 schools (227 post primary and 464 primary) will have the services of the School Completion Programme under DEIS.

SCP Projects are managed by a local management committee, comprising representatives of schools and other relevant agencies and are required to engage in a consultative and planning process with the school staff, with parents and with local representatives of relevant statutory, voluntary and community agencies in the development of annual retention plans. They must devise a collaborative programme of in-school and out-of-school actions that will prevent early school leaving and support young people with characteristics and behaviour that are indicative of real risk. Allocations to projects are based on annual retention plans submitted to my Department for approval.

The SCP project to which the Deputy refers has operated in two schools in the area since 1998/99 with a further 3 schools included in this project under DEIS. The annual allocation to this project for 2006/2007 school year, including summer provision was approved by my Department in August 2006 and a further letter issued to the project on 16th February last regarding the extension of the programme to the additional 3 schools.

Furthermore, 4 of the 5 schools to which the Deputy refers have received significant increases in the individual grants which were paid to schools under the DEIS action plan in November 2006.