Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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120. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children who are out of school who attend courses run by the home-school officers; the number of children who are out of school long term who avail of the services of the home-school officers; and if records are kept of all those to whom courses or assistance are provided. [42320/14]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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121. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of school completion schemes; the budget for the school completion scheme; and the percentage of that budget which provides for salaries and expenses. [42321/14]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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122. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children who are out of school who attend courses run by the school completion scheme; the number of children who are out of school long term who avail of the services of the school completion scheme; and if records are kept of all those to whom courses or assistance are provided. [42322/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 to 122, inclusive, together.

Since its establishment on 1 January 2014, the Child and Family Agency has operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme and Home-School-Community Liaison Scheme, both of which are elements of the School Support Programme under the Department of Education and Skills' DEIS Action Plan for Educational Inclusion.

The School Completion Programme 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 Programme is aimed at those school communities identified through the Department of Education and Skills’ DEIS Action Plan for Educational Inclusion. It involves 124 locally managed school completion projects and related initiatives operating across 470 primary and 224 post-primary schools. It provides targeted supports to approximately 36,000 children and young people. The programme's project model gives local communities the autonomy to devise innovative approaches to address the needs of young people most at risk of early school leaving.

The School Completion Programme budget allocation for 2014 is €24.756 million. It is estimated by the Child and Family Agency that approximately 75% of this is expended on employment costs associated with projects.

The School Completion Programme interventions are focussed on children and young people at risk of early school leaving rather than on their parents. In the case of each local projects the interventions provided form the basis of the annual School Retention Plan which is the basis for the funding provided to the projects. Projects are required to submit annual reports to the Agency, based on reviews of activity and interventions, including information on the participation levels of at risk pupils.

Typically, projects offer homework clubs; breakfast clubs; mentoring programmes; learning support; social and personal development programmes. Support for out of school children in any project is an important objective of the programme. I am advised by the Agency that approximately 2% of children who are targeted under the School Completion Programme are out of school. In the 2012/2013 school year, some such 595 children were supported under the Programme.

The Home School Community Liaison Scheme is a school-based preventative scheme. It aims to promote and develop partnership between parents, teachers and community in order to enhance pupils’ learning opportunities and assist their retention and participation in the educational system. Under the scheme, 402 local coordinators, who are serving teachers, serve 605 schools and organise locally based activities to encourage greater contact between parents and families and the school to tackle issues which impinge on participation in school and, ultimately, on the quality of learning.

I have been advised by the Child and Family Agency that overall information relating to the numbers of parents of children that are out of school who participate in the diverse range of Home School Community Liaison Scheme activities and supports is not readily available.