Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 258: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amount of funding allocated to a school completion programme at a school (details supplied) in County Offaly in 2008/2009; the amount of funding for same allocated in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39017/08]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 259: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amount of funding allocated to a school completion programme at a school (details supplied) in County Offaly in 2008/2009; the amount of funding for same allocated in 2006/2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39018/08]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 260: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will confirm receipt of an email sent by a person (details supplied) to him on 8 October 2008; if a reply was issued to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39019/08]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 258 to 260, inclusive, together.

The School Completion Programme is a key component of DEIS ( Delivering Equality of Opportunities in Schools) the action plan for educational inclusion, which discriminates positively in favour of children and young people who are at risk of early school leaving. The Programme supports 468 primary and 224 post-primary schools in 124 School Completion Programme sites across 26 counties, focusing on young people between the ages of 4 and 18 years, which aims to develop local strategies to ensure maximum participation levels in the education process. Funding is provided to projects based on an integrated approach involving the schools, parents, relevant statutory, voluntary and community agencies to devise and implement strategies for the whole-school, targeted strategies for individual students, and those who are already outside of the formal system. Provision includes in-school, after-school and holiday time supports to enhance the young person's readiness to benefit from education.

€28.8 million was allocated to the School Completion Programme in 2007 with €31.1 million allocated for 2008. The programme is funded on a multi-annual basis under the National Development Plan (NDP) and was assisted under the European Social Fund (ESF) up to 2007.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Education budget for 2009 has been increased by some €302 million. Notwithstanding this, a number of tough and difficult decisions have had to be taken, which have seen a number of spending cuts across the education sector. Funding for the School Completion Programme in 2009 will remain at the same level as in 2008 and Projects will be notified of their allocation for 2008/09 shortly.

€526,600 was allocated in total to the projects referred to by the Deputy for 2006/07 and 2007/08. The level of funding allocated to projects is dependent on the submission of their annual Retention plan, taking into account the level of educational disadvantage in the schools involved in each project, the target group selected for intensive supports, the salaries of personnel employed and the overall level of funding available to the programme.

A response to correspondence received by my office from the project to which the Deputy refers will issue in the next few days.