Child and Family Agency (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2021-10-05
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Fiona O'Loughlin (FF), Administrative Panel

I thank the Minister and his Department for their work on this Bill. The whole school completion programme and the home school community liaison scheme are essential components of the education system through the work that is done throughout the country on those programmes. A lot of work is done with the whole school community in an integrated way, within all of the community, to really help target those children who are at risk and ensure that they can stay within the school environment. These programmes find their natural home in the Department of Education and started off there when they were first introduced. The announcement in the programme for Government that they will be transferred to the Department is most welcome. I appreciate that the formalities are completed now and thank the Minister for playing his part in that. I wish the Department of Education well in the transfer of the programmes. I am aware that there was an increase in the budget earlier this year in respect of the school completion programme. We hope there will be continued investment in this area.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:49:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2021-10-05