Fórsa has welcomed Government plans to expand the school completion programme, which helps students from schools in disadvantaged areas to complete their education to leaving cert or equivalent level.

Earlier this month, education minister Norma Foley announced a 5% increase in funding for the scheme, as well as an expansion to cover a further 14 urban primary and 14 post-primary schools.

Fórsa’s School Completion Programme (SCP) Branch, which represents professionals working in the area, said this was a welcome boost to the programme, which was cut by 25% during the financial crisis a decade ago.

The union’s head of education, Andy Pike, said the 5% funding increase was a first step in restoring the programme to adequately meet the needs of young people. “We welcome the Government's commitment to developing an inclusive vision for education and their emphasis on young people fulfilling their potential,” he said.

School completion programme professionals working on the ground support young people most at risk of early school leaving or educational disadvantage. They work mainly in DEIS primary and post-primary schools, located in areas of disadvantage, and the school completion programme has achieved some of the best outcomes for young people in the EU.

Micheál Martin expressed his commitment to the programme in his inaugural address as Taoiseach.

The programme was devised by the education department’s social inclusion unit in 2005, but was transferred to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in 2012. Operational responsibility for SCP was transferred to Tusla in 2014, but last year it was announced that SCP would return to the education department.