New year review of school scheme causes concern

A NORTHSIDE TD has called on the Government to reverse cuts to a school programme that helps local disadvantaged children.

Dublin Bay North TD Finian McGrath (Ind), who debated the issue in the Dail recently with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, James Reilly, said the School Completion Programme has been a huge success in a number of Northside schools.

“The programme was introduced in the Donaghmede-Ayrfield-Edenmore area in November 2002 and is now an integral part of the work of schools in the area,

? said Deputy McGrath.

“

“The programme provides excellent services to children at risk. It provides funding for the breakfast clubs and school curriculum supports, including drama, music, yoga, trips, attendance awards and attendance tracking and monitoring.

“It also supports excellent after-school curricular supports, including homework clubs, study support and games and activities, including boxing, football and gymnastics.

?
Deputy McGrath said that since 2008, the national budget for the programme has been cut from

?¬32.9 million to

?¬24.7 million.

“This is a massive cut of 33 per cent,

? he stated.

“There are eight schools in the cluster that I mentioned. They have had to tolerate a cut and survive on

?¬47,000.

“The good news from the assessment of the programme is that it has increased school attendance.

“In many cases, the attendance rate has increased to 95 per cent. This is amazing among children who come from economically and socially disadvantaged families.

?

A review of the programme is expected to take place in spring 2015. Deputy McGrath said that in light of this, it was important that there would be no further cuts.

“I would like to see the reversal of the overall national 33 per cent cut, but also for Minister Reilly to look at it objectively and let the review group see that the project serves 1,800 children in disadvantaged communities,

? he added.

“They need our support.

? Minister Reilly said he echoed Deputy McGrath’s sentiment that the children

“need our support

?.

“I fully subscribe to that,

? he told Deputy McGrath.

“The review is about finding out what is working and transposing that across the entire scheme to ensure, as we are duty bound to, that the money we spend is achieving the best outcomes for children we hope to serve,

? Minister Reilly said.

Last month, members of the Kilbarrack After-School Project protested about the recent cuts to the programme at the Parkgate Street offices of Túsla (Child and Family Agency) which now administers the scheme.

Cathleen O’Neill, a community development worker at St Benedict’s Resource Centre, Kilbarrack, who attended the protest, told Northside People:

“The School Completion Programme is vital for our communities.

“It allows children who might otherwise be at risk of early school leaving to make the best of education and to thrive.

“We will continue to lobby Túsla and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, James Reilly, to reverse the cuts and provide a reliable and adequate funding stream for the future. Our children deserve no less.

?

Cllr Mícheál Mac Donncha (SF), who represents the Beaumont-Donaghmede Local Electoral Area (LEA), also attended the protest.

“The School Completion Programme needs to be not only supported but expanded and provided with additional and guaranteed funding by the Government,

? he said.

When asked to comment on the protest, a spokeswoman for Túsla said it was committed to obtaining the best possible value for the funding available through streamlining and reducing administrative costs, where possible.

“A review of the School Completion Programme is being undertaken by the Economic and Social Research Institute,

? she told Northside People.

“The review, which is expected in spring 2015, will be influential in ensuring investment in school support has maximum impact.

“School attendance, participation and educational achievement are crucial to the overall welfare and development of Ireland’s children, particularly the most vulnerable, and are prioritised in Túsla’s 2015-2017 Corporate Plan.

?