Written answers
Wednesday, 17 September 2014
Department of Children and Youth Affairs
School Completion Programme
Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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710. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will ensure that no more cuts are implemented in the school completion programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34086/14]
Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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745. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the budget allocation for school completion programmes in the years 2011 to 2013, inclusive, and to date in 2014 with a breakdown of the recipient organisations providing school completion programmes; and the locations of same in each of those years. [34340/14]
David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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748. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the cost of providing the school completion programme nationally each year since 2010 respectively; if the 6.5% per annum savings over the period 2012 to 2014 identified in the 2011 comprehensive review of expenditure have been achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34640/14]
David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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749. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there has been, or if there is due to be, a further budget and performance evaluation of the school completion programme following its review under the terms of the 2011 comprehensive review of expenditure; the issues identified as needing to be addressed in this review; the proposals and changes to be made to the programme as a result; the role of the Child and Family Agency in any review of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34641/14]
James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 710, 745, 748 and 749 together.
The School Completion Programme (SCP) aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle and to generally improve the school attendance, participation and retention of its target cohort. The SCP is a targeted intervention aimed at those school communities identified through the Department of Education and Skills’ DEIS Action Plan for Educational Inclusion. It involves 124 locally managed projects and related initiatives operating across 470 primary and 224 post-primary schools to provide targeted supports to approximately 36,000 children and young people. The programme's project model approach gives local communities the autonomy to devise innovative approaches to address the needs of young people most at risk of early school leaving.
Since its establishment on 1 January 2014, the Child and Family Agency has operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme, including the allocation of funds to projects within the programme.
Details of the allocations to the School Completion Programmes since 2011 are as follows,
| Year | Annual Allocation |
|---|---|
| 2011 | €30.256m |
| 2012 | €28.256m |
| 2013 | €26.456m |
| 2014 | €24.756m |
As with all major spending programmes, the School Completion Programme budget was subject to examination under the terms of the 2011 Comprehensive Review of Expenditure (CRE). This process identified a requirement for savings of 6.5% per annum across the programme over the period 2012 to 2014. These savings required are reflected in the allocations to the programmes in those years.
The potential for any changes in the funding allocated to the Child and Family Agency for the School Completion Programme in future years is a matter to be considered in the annual estimates and budgetary processes having regard to the resources available to the Government.
The planned programme review of SCP indicated in the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure has commenced. The objectives of the review are to identify best practice, to clarify roles and responsibilities and to build upon the valuable learning and experience obtained to date across the programme.
Following the completion of the procurement process the ESRI has been contracted by the Child and Family Agency to undertake the review. The review process is being overseen by a steering committee which includes officials of the Child and Family Agency and my Department and officials from the Department of Education and Skills.
The review findings will assist in identifying the reforms necessary to consolidate the SCP programme on a sustainable footing for the future and ensure that available funds are targeted to those services which provide the greatest contribution to good educational outcomes for children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage. It is anticipated that the review will be completed during the current academic year.
Arrangements are being made to send details of locations of the SCP projects to the Deputy as requested.
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