Vol. 454 No. 1
131 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education the plans, if any, she has for a nationwide approach to the Youthreach programme in view of the fact that the study of community youth programmes by Kevin Street Garda Station indicated that such educational interventions have saved the Department of Justice £4 million a year. [10250/95]
My Department has a range of strategies in place to prevent early school leaving, including early intervention measures, additional staff and resources for schools in disadvantaged areas, home-school-community liaison initiatives, remedial, guidance and psychological services, staff development programmes and curricular reforms.
In addition, my Department provides 2,000 places nationwide at present under the Youthreach programme in special out-of-school centres operated by vocational education committees. This is supplemented by places provided by the Department of Enterprise and Employment in FÁS training centres and community training workshops. The two Departments, with assistance from the European Social Fund, work in close co-operation to provide a national service to meet the needs of early school leavers.
I will be expanding the Youthreach programme in the vocational education committee sector by a further 450 places this year.
