Written answers
Thursday, 18 October 2018
Department of Children and Youth Affairs
School Completion Programme
Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
306. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the first and full-year cost of restoring the school completion programme to peak levels of funding. [43136/18]
Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
As the Deputy may be aware, responsibility for the National Educational Welfare Board which included the School Completion Programme (SCP) was transferred to my Department on its establishment in 2011.
Upon the establishment of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency on January 1st 2014, operational responsibility for the SCP was transferred to the Agency.
The SCPs are funded in line with the academic year commencing in September each year. The funding available to the SCP for the school year 2018/2019 stands at €24.7 million.
The Educational Welfare Service (EWS) of Tusla has advised that the first and full-year cost of restoring the SCP to peak levels of funding would be €7.3 million.
Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
307. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of primary and secondary schools that have participated in the school completion programme in each programme year since 2006, in tabular form. [43137/18]
Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
The Educational Welfare Service of Tusla (EWS) has advised that the table below outlines the numbers of primary and post-primary schools included in the School Completion Programme (SCP), since it transferred to Tusla on its establishment in 2014.
| Year | No. Primary Schools in SCP | No. Post-Primary Schools in SCP |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 470 | 224 |
| 2015 | 470 | 224 |
| 2016 | 470 | 222 |
| 2017 | 470 | 220 |
| 2018 | 470 | 219 |
The slight drop in the number of post-primary schools represents schools amalgamations.
Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
308. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of primary and secondary schools students that have participated in the school completion programme in each programme year since 2006, in tabular form. [43138/18]
Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
I am very conscious that the School Completion Programme (SCP) delivers a valuable service for some of our most vulnerable young people. The Programme is a core and continuing component of provision under the Educational Welfare Services (EWS).
Tusla EWS have advised that approximately 38,000 children and young people per annum have come into contact with the programme annually, since SCP's operational responsibility was transferred to the Agency in 2014.
Please find the number of primary and secondary schools students who have participated in the SCP in each programme year since 2014 (as received from Tusla EWS) set out in the table.
| Year | No. of Primary and Post-Primary School Participants in SCP |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 38,000 |
| 2015 | 38,000 |
| 2016 | 38,000 |
| 2017 | 38,000 |
| 2018* | 24,899 (targeted provision) 69,775** (universal provision) |
*Tusla changed method of recording participant engagement
**Includes once off events
No comments