Andrew Boylan
Question:17 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Education if she will give a breakdown of early school leavers by county; and whether any significant patterns exist in the Irish incidence of early school leavings.
Written Answers. - Early School Leavers.
I would refer the Deputy to my written reply to Question No. 105 on 2 February 1994. My Department has asked FÁS to provide the information sought and this will be communicated to the Deputy as soon as it is received.
Details of patterns of early school leaving by county are not available in the education sector. Data is compiled by FÁS Local Employment Offices on the basis of returns submitted twice yearly by schools giving details of pupils who have left school early. A social guarantee register is compiled by FÁS and used for recruitment onto training and employment programmes, including Youthreach in the vocational education committee sector.
Following the undertaking given to Deputy Seymour on 2 February, the Department wrote to the Assistant Director General, of FÁS asking for information on early school-leaving trends by county and seeking access to the data emerging from analysis of the social guarantee register. The information is being compiled by FÁS at present and they will supply it to the Department as soon as possible.