Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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359. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the cost of funding school completion programmes at present and the projected costs for 2017. [12066/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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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 37,000 children.

Since 1st January 2014, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, under the remit of my Department, has operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme, including the allocation of funds to local projects. A review of the programme was undertaken by the Economic and Social Research Institute on behalf of Tusla and published in October 2015. Tusla has taken a number of actions to address the findings in the review and to strengthen the operation of the programme for the future.

Improving attendance and participation in education, particularly for vulnerable children, is an important priority for me as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The Programme for Government commits to publishing a new School Completion Strategy to further improve school completion rates, particularly in disadvantaged areas. I and my Department will work closely with the Minister for Education and Skills, in developing the new Strategy and in the context of the Government programme commitment to a new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion to secure good educational outcomes for all children, especially those at risk of educational disadvantage.

The Agency has confirmed that the cost of funding the School Completion Programme this year is forecast as €24.7m. The budget for the programme in 2017 will be agreed as part of the annual Estimates and Budgetary process.