Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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120. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of pupils who completed the leaving certificate who commenced second level education in each of the years 2005 to 2012; the completion rates which these represent; the areas with the lowest completion rates in each of those years; the outcome of analysis undertaken on poor completion rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7683/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Second Level school completion rates are published by my Department in the annual report titled ‘Retention Rates of Pupils in Second Level Schools’. These reports can be found on my Department's website at: . In the most recently published data, 91.2% of students who entered secondary education in 2010 sat their Leaving Certificate.

Retention rates by area, from 1996 to 2010, are published by Administrative County, County, Region and Nationally. A detailed breakdown of the analysis is available on my Department’s Education Statistics Database at:

This latest analysis of the 2010 cohort show particularly significant improvements in retention rates in schools in the DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) scheme. The gap in retention rates to Leaving Certificate between DEIS and non-DEIS schools continues to narrow, halving from 16.8% for the 2001 cohort to 8.5% for the 2010 cohort.

Across Europe the average number of adults aged 20-24 who have completed upper secondary education is 83.1%. We are significantly ahead of that figure at 93.6%, placing Ireland second highest across the 28 EU member states.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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121. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to improve supports to help students remain in school and complete the leaving certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7684/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The School Completion Programme forms an integral part of Tusla's educational welfare service and has the aim of increasing the numbers of young people remaining in primary and second level education and in doing so improving the numbers of pupils who successfully complete Senior Cycle. The programme is a key support for schools under the DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) programme. My Department has requested Tusla to contact the Deputy directly with further details regarding the School Completion Programme.