Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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177. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of schools in receipt of funding for the school completion programme; the total amount of funding allocated from her Department for the school completion programme; and the amount by which the total amount of funding has been cut in 2016. [30053/16]

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 at 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. There are 470 primary and 224 post-primary schools, a total of 694 covered by the Programme nationally.

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. The Agency has confirmed that the cost of funding the School Completion Programme this year is €24.756m and that there has been no cut in funding in 2016.