Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 29: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is committed to continuing the applied leaving certificate; if it has contributed to a reduction in drop out rates; if so the rate by which this is so; if a calculation has been made on the cost of providing services to those who drop out of school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34726/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I am committed to the continuation of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme.

The Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) was introduced to schools in 1995, designed to address the needs of students who would not be progressing directly to higher education, and for whom the established Leaving Certificate is unsuitable. The rate of early school leaving at that time, as evidenced in the 1996 ESRI Annual School Leaver Survey of 94/95 leavers was 19.2%.

The latest ESRI School Leavers Survey was published in 2007 of 2004/5 leavers, and shows an early leaving rate of 14%. In May 2011 my Department published a report on retention rates to completion of Leaving Certificate showing an early school leaving rate of 12% overall, in terms of the proportion who began their second level schooling in 2004 and completed it by 2010.

While the improvements in retention rates cannot be attributed uniquely to the Leaving Certificate Applied, the programme has played a very important role in providing an active and vocationally oriented learning programme which has been successful in stimulating and engaging learners at risk, and enabling them to complete senior cycle.

The unit cost of a place on a Youthreach programme for early school leavers is estimated at €18,553 per annum.