Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 April 2014
217. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding his Department will be allocating to an organisation (details supplied) in County Cork in 2014 to assist it in meeting the educational needs of young persons who have fallen outside the mainstream education system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16541/14]
View answer222. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills his view of the work being carried out by an organisation (details supplied) in County Cork who cater for students who have fallen outside mainstream education; his Department's support for their programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16572/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 222 together.
In 2014 my Department will allocate 968 teacher co-operation hours, provided under the Co-operation Hours Scheme operated by the local Education and Training Board (ETB), as well as €47,500 in non-pay funding.
I understand that this organisation, established by the Christian Brothers in 1996, with the assistance of the Holy Faith Sisters, caters for approximately 40 young people who are out of the mainstream school system and provides a model of high support educational provision incorporating intensive personal, social and educational support. The ETB through the use of co-operation hours employ tutors to work with these young people delivering tuition in Reading, Literacy, Arts and Crafts, Woodwork, Home Economics and Civic Social and Political Education. The annual grant of €47,500 is provided to meet day to day running costs of the centre.
This Government is committed to addressing educational disadvantage and while services such as this centre meet a particular demand it is also important to reflect on the significant additional targeted resources which are deployed for the purpose of combating educational disadvantage and early school leaving. These include intensive literacy and numeracy programmes, out-of-school, after school and holiday time supports as well as special needs supports provided to assist young people at risk.
It should be noted that there has been a substantial expansion of these initiatives since the establishment of this facility by the Christian Brothers in 1996.The difficult situation in which the organisation finds itself in, arises primarily from the withdrawal of direct funding by the Christian Brothers. The major budgetary pressures within my Department place significant constraints on its capacity to support existing programmes and, consequently, given the significant range of educational disadvantage interventions already supported by my Department, there is no scope to meet a request for addition funding for this organisation beyond the level of support currently allocated.
