Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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361. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if his attention has been drawn to serious concerns on the part of primary schools (details supplied) in Dublin 9 and 11 regarding the impact of cuts of 33% to the school completion programme since 2009; if he will ensure, now that this programme has been transferred to Tusla, that the fund will be ring-fenced and protected in view of the essential nature of the supports being provided to the most vulnerable children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2772/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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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 young people who are risk of educational disadvantage. The Programme is a targeted intervention aimed at school communities identified through the Department of Education and Skills’ DEIS Action Plan for Educational Inclusion. It provides targeted supports annually to approximately 36,000 children.

Since 1 January 2014, the Child and Family Agency has operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme, including the allocation of funds to local projects. In 2014, an allocation of €24.756 million has been provided for the School Completion Programme. The Agency has approved local projects' school retention plans for the 2014/2015 academic year. The first instalment of 2014/15 funding issued to local projects last September. Further payments totalling approximately €9.5m have issued over the past month, with a third instalment in May 2015.

There is one post primary school and seven primary schools in the area mentioned by the Deputy. These schools are served by the Ballymun Educational Support Team (BEST) School Completion Programme project, which is integrated with the Aisling Project in Poppintree. I am advised that an amount of €576.261 was allocated by the Agency to these projects for the school year 2014-2015, of which €468,212 has been paid in two instalments by 31 December 2014, with a final payment of €108,049 due in May 2015.

The amounts provided for 2014-2015 take account of the savings requirements in the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure 2012-2014. The allocation of the funding across the range of interventions planned for young people and between the local schools in the School Completion Programme project for the area is a matter for the Local Management Committee.

The estimate for the Child and Family Agency for 2015 is €631 million, a 4.3% increase on its 2014 allocation. My Department has recently issued a Performance Statement to the Agency under Section 45 of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013. This includes my priorities for consideration in the development of the Agency's 2015 Business Plan. The Business Plan will set out the Agency's proposed activities, programmes and priorities for 2015, including provision for the School Completion Programme, in the light of the monies available.

A review of the School Completion Programme has commenced. It is being carried out by the ESRI following a procurement process managed by the Agency. The programme has been in operation since 2002 and I believe that it is timely that a review be carried out. The Review is an important initiative to plan for the future development of this Programme. It is envisaged that the review will be completed during the 2014/2015 academic year.