John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 7: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if in the context of the review of the children at risk fund and the school completion programme she will ring fence funding for a centre (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; if she will have that programme examined as a stand alone project as the centre and what it offers under the CAR funding is recognised as being at the cutting edge of service provision in this area nationally; if her officials will visit the centre and if the recent Department report commending the centre for its services and value for money will now be considered in support of the proposal to consider the 3 to university project as a pilot project. [4006/11]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department launched the DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) initiative which brought together a range of programmes and supports aimed at tackling educational disadvantage in some 876 schools throughout the country. Through DEIS an additional €40million was provided bringing the allocation for disadvantage in schools to in excess of €200million. In light of this additional investment, a decision was taken in Budget 2009 to discontinue the Children at Risk Fund.

The project to which the Deputy refers was among a number of projects evaluated by the Evaluation, Support and Research Unit in conjunction with the Inspectorate of the Regional Directorate of this Department in 2009, to assist in determining future funding arrangements and possible mainstreaming of appropriate projects or models of intervention.

As a result of this evaluation, funding of € 133,000 issued to the Project in December for 2011 and a process has begun to integrate the Fr. McGrath Centre Homework Club & Study Support with the Kilkenny City School Completion Programme (SCP) Project, as both projects share the same aims and objectives. The School Completion Programme is a major component of DEIS and provides support for targeted children who are at risk of early school leaving. The supports are provided through 124 local projects and include interventions on school attendance, literacy/numeracy, after school, homework, holiday time supports as well as social and sporting interventions.

The National Coordination Team for the School Completion Programme has commenced work on the integration of both projects and a meeting with the project to which the Deputy refers will be arranged shortly.