Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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659. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of staff who have been employed under the school completion programme over each of the past ten years and to date in 2017; the number of participants in the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21409/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The School Completion Programme transferred to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency on the establishment of that Agency in 2014 and each School Completion Programme project is required at a minimum to employ a Coordinator to manage the day to day provision of the projects. Beyond this the staff composition of each project has to date been determined by the Local Management Committee. The information requested by the Deputy is therefore not readily available. Tusla have advised that 124 project coordinators were employed in 2014 and in each subsequent year to date.

In 2016 Tusla conducted an employment audit of staffing levels in the School Completion Programme projects nationally. The staffing levels identified in the audit report are outlined in the following table and are based on a 96% response rate.

Approximately 37,000 young people are supported by the Tusla School Completion Programme annually.

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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660. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if guidelines have been produced by her Department in respect of the operation of the school completion programme; if the programme is co-ordinated on a national basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21411/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The School Completion Programme operates under the Administrative, Financial and Employment Guidelines (Revised Edition) issued by the Department of Education and Science in 2006. The guidelines can be viewed at the below web address.

www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/admin_financial_and_employment_guidelines.pdf.

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, co-ordinate the School Completion Programme on a national basis. Each of the 124 School Completion Programmes is managed by a Local Management Committee responsible for delivering an agreed, funded Annual Retention Plan.