Tusla told the Minister for Children it would be “both irresponsible and reckless” to continue funding a €25 million stay-in-school programme aimed at vulnerable children due to governance concerns. The SCP provides facilities such as after-school and homework clubs for children who have been identified as at risk of not completing education. ImpactNorah Gibbons, the then-chair of Tusla, told Ms Zappone that the board believed it was necessary to “illustrate the impact that poor governance and practice has had on the effectiveness of the SCP programme”. The agency told Ms Zappone that the majority of the bodies responsible for administering the scheme, known as local management committees (LMCs) “are unincorporated with no legal status”. Tusla has called for the implementation of reforms recommended by an expert panel convened to assess the SCP in 2017.

Source: The Irish Times October 14, 2019 01:18 UTC