Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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476. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which the youthreach programme operates within Kerry ETB; if the youthreach programme ran in partnership with other services within the county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61318/21]

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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477. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the Youthreach programme is no longer available for learners in Cahersiveen and Killorglin, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61319/21]

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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478. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position in relation to the staff that were employed in the Youthreach programmes in Cahersiveen and Killorglin, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61320/21]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 476 to 478, inclusive, together.

I understand from enquiries made by my officials with Kerry Education and Training Board (KETB) that its Youthreach Programme, which had been provided by a third party under a Service Level Agreement until 31st December 2018, was brought into the Board’s directly provided services from 1^stJanuary 2019 with the relevant staff transferred to KETB by way of a TUPE (Transfer of Undertaking, Protection for Employment) process.

Following the reduction in eligible enrolments on the Youthreach Programme in Cahersiveen to two learners in September, 2020, KETB established a Working Group to determine whether a need exists in the Iveragh area for a Youthreach programme to accommodate young people who are no longer engaged in full-time education. The work of this group is ongoing and KETB has assured my officials that the necessary provision will be made available if a further need is identified.

All staff previously assigned to the Youthreach under the South Kerry VTOS/Youthreach Programme, which operated in the Caherciveen and Killorglin area, are fully employed for their contracted hours by KETB in the provision of further education and training courses in the area.