Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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147. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide an assurance that there will be no cuts to the school completion programme, and that the success of the programme in economically disadvantaged areas is acknowledged and built upon. [25474/15]

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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148. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide an assurance that there will be no cuts to the school completion programme in County Donegal, and that the success of the programme in economically disadvantaged areas of the county is acknowledged and built upon. [25475/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 148 together.

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 had operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme, including the allocation of funds to local projects. In 2014, Tusla allocated €24.756 million to this programme. Tusla has confirmed that there will be no change to the overall budget in 2015. Local projects have been advised that consideration is being given to allocating increased funding towards strengthening governance in the Programme.

I am informed that School Completion Programmes in Donegal were allocated €1,011,476.41 for the 2014/15 school year. Tusla has asked Chairpersons of Local Management Committees 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 16th last. I am advised that the Agency is currently assessing these plans. Local Projects including those in Donegal will be informed of their 2015/16 budgets before the start of the new school year. The ESRI is currently reviewing the School Completion programme which will help in future decisions on its structure, governance and operations. The report is almost finalised and it is expected to be available in the coming weeks.

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.