Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2013
1087. Deputy Dara Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures he is taking to preserve the budget of a programme (details supplied) in Cork; the other services that are available to children before attending and after leaving DEIS schools daily; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17051/13]
View answerThe School Completion Programme (SCP) aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle and to generally improve the school attendance, participation and retention of its target cohort. The SCP is one of three service strands, which also includes the Home School Community Liaison and the Education Welfare Service, being integrated under the remit of the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB). The SCP is a key programme under the Department of Education and Skills DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) action plan.
In 2013, funding of €26.456m has been made available by my Department to support the programme, which involves 124 projects and initiatives throughout the country.
The Local Management Committee assesses the needs of marginalised educationally disadvantaged students at local level to devise an integrated, costed and targeted proposal of interventions to support these young people.
The structure of the retention plan is required to encompass four distinct pillars of support to include, in-school, after-school (including breakfast clubs), holiday and out of school supports. This project model approach, allows the Local Management Committee the autonomy to be creative and innovative in developing strategies to encourage attendance, retention and participation of the targeted young people. Accordingly, it is a matter for the SCP to decide on the use of SCP funds in the context of the available grant and the overall programme of activities.
In September 2012, the Local Management Committee responsible for each SCP project was notified that a reduction on last year’s allocation would apply for the coming academic cycle. Nonetheless a significant level of funding of €274,761 was made available, to the School Completion Project raised by the Deputy, for the 12/13 academic year.
Projects were requested to revise their plans for 2012/13 in order to achieve efficiencies and reduce costs whilst prioritising evidence based services to support children’s educational outcomes. The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB), under the remit of my Department, has provided assistance to projects through this process in accordance with its management responsibilities for the programme.
In the present challenging financial circumstances it is not feasible to alter the notified allocations to individual projects. I would note that my Department intends to complete a review of the SCP over the course of 2013. It is anticipated that the review will assist in identifying operational efficiencies and other reforms necessary to consolidate the programme on a sustainable footing as a key component of an integrated school support service under the NEWB.
With regard to the wider question of other services that are available to children before attending and after leaving DEIS schools daily, the Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund Rounds 1 and 2 and Local Drugs Task Force Projects. Funding of some €53.173m is available in 2013 to support the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. These funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 400,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 paid staff and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country.
The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, which is implemented by my Department, provides funding to community childcare services to enable them to charge reduced rates to qualifying parents for childcare provision including breakfast and after school clubs.
A new After School programme is being introduced later this year by my Department, in collaboration with the Department of Social Protection, which will provide funding to enable participating childcare services, both commercial and community, to provide after school care at reduced rates to qualifying parents.
