Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 14 Oct 1999

Vol. 509 No. 3

Written Answers. - Early School Leavers.

Derek McDowell

Question:

50 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Education and Science the projects which his Department is funding to tackle early school leaving; the location, number of students catered for and cost in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20185/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

The fundamental objective in this regard is to increase retention rates so that pupils remain in school and complete senior cycle education. A range of measures is provided to prevent and address early school leaving including early intervention measures such as pre-schooling, remedial and home-school liaison services, Breaking the Cycle, co-ordination with other agencies, guidance and psychological services, and ancillary services and resources for schools in disadvantaged areas; curricular reforms to allow students to make choices relevant to their abilities and aptitudes – junior certificate schools programme, leaving cert applied and leaving cert vocational programme; second chance education and training through the provision of Youthreach and senior traveller training centres for unqualified school leavers and VTOS for long-term unemployed adults and a range of adult and community education measures; improved quality of education through investment in in-career development of staff, including school management and other strategies to cope with learning difficulties and disadvantage and counselling skills; and the provision of national certification for vocational training qualifications through the work of the NCVA and NCEA and the planned establishment of a national qualifications authority and further and higher education and training awards councils. These developments will assist in the promotion of quality standards in line with best international practice and the establishment of clear routes of progression from foundation awards to higher degrees.

Arrangements are under way to expand the remedial and home-school-community liaison services, so that all primary and post-primary schools will have access to a remedial service, and all schools designated as disadvantaged will have access to a home-school-community liaison co-ordinator.

Under the eight to 15 early school leavers initiative, my Department funds 14 pilot projects selected to test approaches to the development of integrated in-school and out-of-school responses to the needs of children at risk. The project will operate for two years from 1998-99 and 1999-2000. At second level, a new stay in school initiat ive is beginning under which, in the first phase, up to 40 schools will be granted additional assistance to draw up a multi-annual written retention agreement with the Department which sets out a programme of actions to be implemented locally on a multi-agency cross-community basis in order to encourage more students to remain in school. The administration arrangements for the scheme are being finalised at present, and the scheme is expected to come into operation shortly.

Work to establish a national educational psychological service is also progressing with the appointment of additional psychologists. The legislation under the Education (Welfare) Bill, 1999, is being processed, under which it is planned to raise the school leaving age and establish an educational welfare service to monitor school attendance and support families at risk so that their children remain in school.

The Youthreach and Traveller programmes for unqualified early school leavers were expanded by some 2,637 places in FÁS and vocational education committees in 1998 allied with the development of a guidance, counselling and psychological service. A new child care measure has also been introduced for participants in VTOS, Youthreach and senior traveller training centres, facilitating direct provision of crèches, purchase of places on existing crèches, and payment of childminders – £2 million. In addition, the budget for adult literacy initiatives has been increased by a further £2.6 million in 1999 to £5.665 million.

Information on the eight to 15 early school leaver initiatives, together with a list of Youthreach and senior traveller centres in the education sector has been provided in tabular form which I propose to circulate with the Official Report. The average unit costs for a Youthreach and traveller training centre place are £6,910 and £10,119 respectively, inclusive of training allowances.

A range of other projects are supported by other Departments and agencies through the Springboard initiative, the work of area based partnerships, EU Community initiatives and Combat Poverty Agency demonstration projects. Details of these projects are available from the relevant agencies.

8-15 Early School Leavers Initiative

Selected Projects and Funds Allocated:

	Name of Project	Target Group	Allocation Per Annum
URBAN
Dublin	Ballymun	141	£175,000
	Jobstown	18	£55,000
	Bonnybrook/Darndale/Priorswood/Clonshaugh (Combined Projects)	10543	£117,000
	Killinarden	50	£55,000
Limerick	Rosbrien/Southill (Combined Projects)	50171	£140,000
	St. Munchin's Parish	61	£50,000
Cork	Knocknaheeny/North West City(Combined Projects)	2148	£260,000
	Mahon/Blackrock, Cork city	41	£125,000
	Name of Project	Target Group	Allocation Per Annum
Waterford	Ballybeg/Lisduggan, Waterford City	123	£120,000
TOWNS
Clare	Ennis	54	£65,000
Louth	Cox's Demesne/Muirtheimhne Mór, Dundalk	46	£75,000
Meath	Navan	44	£54,900
RURAL
Cork	Bantry/Dunmanway	79	£80,000
Kerry	North Kerry	98	£70,000

Youthreach Programme 1999

V.E.C.	Youthreach Centre	Placesapproved
County Cavan	Cavan TownKingscourt	3020
County Clare	KillalloeKilrushEnnistymonEnnis	20202025
County Cork	MallowYoughalFermoyBallincollig	35352540
City of Cork	Knocknaheeny	45
	Dean Street	25
	Glen	25
City of Dublin	North Great Georges Street	55
	Pleasant Street	80
	Ballyfermot	64
	Harmonstown	60
	Bonnybrook	35
	Basin Lane	55
	Ballymun	60
	Cabra (not yet operational)	25
	Dominic Lane	78
	All Centres	24
	Parnell Street	18
County Dublin	Blanchardstown	50
	Clondalkin	37
	Killinarden, Tallaght	50
	Old Bawn, Tallaght	25
	Lucan	25
	Rush	25
	Swords	25
	Rathfarnham	25
	Balbriggan	13
	Rowlagh	13
Dún Laoghaire	Sallynoggin(not yet operational)	25
County Donegal	Buncrana	25
	Letterkenny	40
	Gortahork/Culkeeny	25
	Ballyshannon	25
	Lifford (not yet operational)	10
Galway City	Mervue	25
	Ballybane(not yet operational)	25
County Galway	Letterfrack	45
	Ballinasloe	25
	Lettermullen	25
	Tuam	25
County Kildare	Leixlip	30
	Athy	30
	Naas/Newbridge(not yet operational)	20
County Kilkenny	Kikenny	25
V.E.C.	Youthreach Centre	Placesapproved
County Kerry	Listowel	25
	Tralee	50
	Kenmare	10
	Cahirciveen	10
County Laois	Mountmellick	50
Count Limerick	Hospital	25
	Rathkeale/Shanagolden	40
Limerick City	O'Connell Avenue	60
	St. Martin's	40
Longford	Lanesboro	30
	Longford	15
	Granard	10
Louth	Dundalk	45
	Drogheda	40
County Mayo	Ballinrobe	25
	Ballina	55
	Kiltimagh	30
County Meath	Navan	35
	Ashbourne	25
County Monaghan	Monaghan Town	31
	South Monaghan	10
County Offaly	Edenderry	25
County Roscommon	Ballaghadreen	25
County Sligo	St. Anne's T.C.	60
Tipperary N.R.	Roscrea	60
Tipperary S.R.	Tipperary Town	35
Waterford City	66 O'Connell Street	50
County Waterford	Dungarvan	25
County Westmeath	Delvin/Mullingar	25
County Wexford	Enniscorthy	50
	New Ross	25
	Wexford	50
County Wicklow	Bray	80
	Arklow	30
	Wicklow Town	50
Total		2,908

Senior Traveller Training Centres Programme 1999 Provision

V.E.C.	Centre	Placesapproved
County Carlow	Cox's Lane	30
County Clare	Ennis	28
City of Cork	Blackpool	24
City of Dublin	HFC, Glasnevin	12
	Barry Road, Finglas	12
County Dublin	Bray (County Wicklow)	30
	Coolock	30
	Clondalkin	24
	Tallaght	30
County Donegal	Letterkenny	39
Galway City	Sandy Road	48
V.E.C.	Centre	Placesapproved
County Galway	Tuam	30
	Ballinasloe	24
	Loughrea	24
County Kerry	Killarney	24
County Laois	Postlaoise	24
County Leitrim	Carrick-on-Shannon	21
County Limerick	Abbeyfeale	12
	Rathkeale	24
Longford	Longford	30
Louth	Dundalk	24
County Mayo	Ballina	24
County Meath	Navan	36
County Offaly	Tullamore	35
Tipperary N.R.	Thurles	20
County Westmeath	Athlone	24
County Wexford	New Ross	24
County Wicklow	Bray (see County Dublin)
Total		707