Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 524: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the efforts he is making to encourage young teenage parents to stay in school; his views on the issue of introducing a stay-in-school payment where required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33709/08]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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For young parents of school-going age, the most pressing issues are considered to be a sensitive response to their needs, appropriate counselling/mentoring and medical assistance, minimal disruption of tuition, and appropriate access to childcare.

Individual circumstances will differ and accordingly, school management practice will vary from case to case. Generally, when it comes to the attention of the school that a pupil is pregnant, the school authorities check to ensure that the girl is receiving appropriate medical assistance and counselling advice. Schools endeavour to be sensitive and understanding to the girl's needs while trying to ensure that her education is not neglected.

Home tuition is provided to pregnant schoolgirls who are absent from school during the later stages of pregnancy or immediately following the birth of a baby when attendance may be impractical. In 2006/07, home tuition was approved for 69 pregnant girls attending post primary schools, while in 2007/08 home tuition was approved for 79 pregnant girls attending post primary schools.

Funding has been committed in 2008 for the education element of 8 Teenage Parenting Support projects as a specific gender element of the School Completion Programme under DEIS in preventing early school leaving among teenage mothers. Approximately, 1000 young parents are targeted by the Teen Parenting Support Programme (TPSP).

Links have been established between local School Completion projects and these 8 Projects, assisted by the SCP National Coordination Team and the Teenage Parenting Support Initiative Coordinators. The aim of these projects is to enable young women who are pregnant and young mothers to stay in second level education and to progress on to third level education or training. The Project does this by providing individual support, information and grinds where necessary. Young people participating in Teen Parenting Support Programmes are targeted in-school, out-of-school and in higher /further education, giving them the opportunity to reach their full potential through continued participation in education and training. This will improve their life opportunities and reduce the likelihood of the young family experiencing poverty and social exclusion and being long-term dependants on state support.

My Department has no plans at present to introduce a stay-in-school payment scheme for teenage parents.