Gabrielle McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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421. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount of funding allocated to counties Longford and Westmeath for the years 2010 to 2014 and in 2015 to date under the school completion programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18450/15]

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 improve the school attendance, participation and retention of its target cohort. It is a targeted intervention aimed at school communities identified under the Department of Education and Skills DEIS Action Plan. It involves 124 locally managed projects and provides targeted supports to approximately 36,000 children and young people.

Since 1st January 2014, the Child and Family Agency has operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme, including the allocation of funds to local projects under the remit of my Department. Prior to the establishment of the Agency, the then National Educational Welfare Board had operational responsibility for the programme. My Department administered the funding for this programme.

In 2014, an allocation of €24.756 million was provided for the School Completion Programme. The Agency has indicated a similar allocation for the programme in 2015.

The Agency has advised that Chairpersons of Local Management Committees have been requested to prepare their school retention plans for the 2015/2016 school year based on the expenditure allocated last year and to return them to the Agency by June 5th. Following receipt of these plans projects including those in Longford and Westmeath will be notified of their allocations for the 2015/2016 school year.

A review of the School Completion Programme, being carried out by the ESRI, is almost finalised. This will assist in identifying the reforms necessary to consolidate the programme on a sustainable footing for the future and ensure that available funds are targeted to those services which provide the greatest contribution to educational outcomes for children at risk of early school leaving and educational disadvantage.

I have advised the Agency of my commitment to ensuring that there is no diminution in the school completion programme services. The School Completion Programme is an important service within the Agency’s educational welfare services. It is highly regarded as a key response in securing improved educational outcomes for children and young people at risk of early school leaving.

The detailed information about the allocations for the School Completion Programmes in Longford and Westmeath is set out in the table.

Gabrielle McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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422. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the objectives behind the review of the school completion programme; when the review will be complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18451/15]

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^stJanuary 2014, the Child and Family Agency has operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme. The review of the School Completion Programme is almost finalised. The objectives of the review are to examine the programme's structures, clarify roles and responsibilities, to analyse the interventions and supports provided and identify best practice and make recommendations for the future of the programme. The review is an important initiative in planning for the future development of the programme.

The review of the SCP was indicated in the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure, 2012-2014. It is being undertaken by the ESRI following a procurement process managed by the Agency.

A key goal of the review is to assist in identifying the reforms necessary to consolidate the programme on a sustainable footing for the future and ensure that available funds are targeted to those services which provide the greatest contribution to educational outcomes for children at risk of early school leaving and educational disadvantage.

The final report of the review is expected next month.