Written answers

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

School Completion Programme

Photo of Colm KeaveneyColm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

264. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No.172 of 12 February 2015, if the review of the school completion programme has been completed; if so, the findings of that review; if the school completion programme funding in the Tuam, Loughrea, Gort and Athenry areas of County Galway will be protected in the 2015-2016 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19206/15]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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. 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 the Galway areas referred to by the Deputy will be notified of their allocations for the 2015/2016 school year.

The ESRI is currently reviewing the School Completion Programme, which will help in future decisions on its structure, governance and operation. Its final report is expected next month. The Minister for Education and Skills recently published an evaluation of the DEIS programme which was also prepared by the ESRI, and which refers to the School Completion Programme as an integral support within DEIS in improving attendance and engagement in education.

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.

Photo of Michael FitzmauriceMichael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

265. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason funding for the school completion programme is no longer ring-fenced; if he will indicate the future of the programme, post-2015; his views on whether the current indeterminate nature of the funding is causing a problem for the programme, its participants and its teachers; whether the ring-fenced funding this programme enjoyed, while under the remit of the Minister for Education and Skills, should be restored to the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19236/15]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

When my Department was established in 2011, it was given a remit to lead the development of harmonised policy and quality integrated service delivery for children and young people, to carry out specific functions in the social care field and co-ordinate actions across a range of sectors, including health, education, youth justice, sport, arts and culture in support of improved outcomes for children and young people.

On 1st January 2014, the Child and Family Agency was established as the dedicated State Agency for improving well-being and outcomes for children under the remit of my Department. Operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme, including the allocation of funds to local projects was assigned to the Agency from that date.

The objective in incorporating the School Completion Programme into the Child and Family Agency responsibility is to ensure the provision of effective services for children who have difficulties participating in school; to better integrate the educational welfare services with other support services for children and their families and to bring about an increased emphasis on planning, evidence based services and outcome measurement.

The estimate for the Child and Family Agency for 2015 is €631 million, a 4.3% increase on its 2014 allocation. With regard to funding for the School Completion Programme, the Programme, as with all major expenditure programmes, was the subject of the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure which indicated savings requirements of the order of six and a half percent were required in each of the years 2012 - 2014 inclusive.

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 all school completion projects will be notified of their allocations for the 2015/2016 school year.

The ESRI is currently reviewing the School Completion Programme, which will help in future decisions on its structure, governance and operation. The report is almost finalised and it is expected it will be available next month. The Minister for Education and Skills recently published an evaluation of the DEIS programme which was also prepared by the ESRI, and which refers to the School Completion Programme as an integral support within DEIS in improving attendance and engagement in education.

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.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.