Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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94. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to put in place alternative education and systems to ensure that young persons (details supplied) who find it difficult to secure a place in education are offered the chance they deserve at completing their education. [31826/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, education is compulsory for children in Ireland from the ages of six to sixteen or until students have completed three years of post-primary education. Key considerations for my Department in this matter is our policy of inclusion, where the objective is for children to be educated within the mainstream system to the greatest extent possible. The policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs should be included where possible and appropriate in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children with special educational need require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are also available.

My Department also considers applications under the Home Tuition Grant Scheme which provides a compensatory educational service to students with a significant medical condition which is likely to cause major disruption to their attendance at school on a continuing basis. Eligibility under this provision is assessed with reference to a completed medical report and attendance records supplied by the school in which the student is enrolled. Further details of the Scheme are available at

Where a problem arises in securing a school place I wish to advise the Deputy that the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, has statutory responsibility to ensure that every child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. Therefore, the Agency, through its Educational Welfare Service, is the statutory body which can assist parents/guardians who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. My colleague the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has responsibility for this Agency.

My Department also funds a range of supports for young people who are at risk of dropping out of school, or who have already become disengaged from the mainstream education system,. These include Youth Encounter Projects, Youthreach Centres, and a number of other centres, including the Centre referred to by the Deputy which receives direct funding. Teaching resources are funded through the Education and Training Boards in many of these local community based settings to support these young people and provide opportunities to them to gain benefit from education.

In relation to the detailed supplied I can confirm that funding from my Department to the Cork Life Centre in 2016 amounted to €159,340.00 consisting of €77,500 in direct funding and €81,840 for teaching resources delivered through Cork ETB.

The DEIS Plan 2017 sets out my Department’s vision for education to more fully become a proven pathway to better opportunities for those in communities at risk of disadvantage and social exclusion. One of the goals contained in DEIS Plan 2017 is for a Review of current out of school and second chance provision to inform policy for future supports in this area, including those provided through Tusla. The review will be carried out by my Department, in corporation with Tusla, the Education and Training Boards and Solas, It is expected work on the review will commence over the coming months.