Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 14 Oct 1999

Vol. 509 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Guarantee Register.

John Perry

Question:

40 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science the provision, if any, which will be made for the development of independent and accessible outreach information; and the effectiveness of the social guarantee register. [19991/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

Second level schools are asked to make a return on a twice yearly basis to their local FÁS office giving details of pupils who have left school prior to the leaving certificate. The information is entered by FÁS on a social guarantee register and the persons listed are then contacted by FÁS to discuss their education or training needs. The social guarantee register is one of the sources for recruitment onto Youthreach.

Difficulties with the social guarantee register arise in a number of areas related to the response rate by schools, the elapse of time since the date of leaving, the fact that many pupils undergo prolonged absences before being deleted officially from the school register, and the ineffectiveness of written follow-up in reaching severely disadvantaged early school leavers. Therefore, the social guarantee register is only one of a range of methods used for recruitment onto Youthreach.

Youthreach centres have developed referral networks under which close links are developed locally with schools, Garda and juvenile liaison, probation, welfare and youth services and com munity groups, so that trainees can be recruited through these routes to join the programme. Open days, publicity, posters and leaflets are also used to create an awareness of the work of the centres. At local level, a district approach is used under which all relevant interests are consulted on priority area needs and plans for expansion. As part of the FÁS advocate service, 14 full-time staff have been made available to assist in providing counselling, progression and placement options for Youthreach trainees in FÁS and the vocational education committees. In addition, a guidance, counselling and psychological service was introduced in 1998 to support participants on the programme, and the budget for this was increased to £728,000 in 1999. Centres are encouraged to deploy an element of this budget to outreach work.

The Education (Welfare) Bill, 1999 proposes the raising of the school leaving age and the establishment of an educational welfare board to monitor school attendance and support families at risk. Under the terms of the Bill, schools will be required to report on school attendance and expulsions to the educational welfare board, and the latter will be required to provide assistance to ensure that an appropriate prescribed minimum education is provided. The board will also have a role in supporting the continued education and training of those over 16 and under 18 who have left school early to enter work. Section 29 provides for the systematic sharing of personal data with other prescribed bodies for purposes of research, placement or tracking. These developments will enable a systematic and structured approach to be adopted to outreach.