One of the country's biggest unions has warned that services in schools across Cork will be affected by proposals to implement payroll cuts in the School Completion programme (SCP) with concerns that breakfast clubs, homework clubs and mentoring programmes may be reduced or slashed.

According to IMPACT which represents the SCP staff and coordinators, the programme is facing "impossible choices" to achieve the 3 per cent payroll cuts by 2009 which have been demanded by the Department of Education and Science.

Niall Weldon, chairperson of IMPACT's SCP Branch, which represents the workers explained, "SCP coordinators throughout the country face impossible choices about which services to cut in order to achieve the required savings. Coordinators have told me they'll be forced cut homework clubs, breakfast clubs, counselling, attendance tracking and behavioural support programmes in order to meet the targets set by the Department. The information we have received to date indicates that vulnerable children are set to lose out on a range of essential services."

Mr Weldon explained that the decisions on how to cut services in line with the Departments target of 3 per cent are subject to local approval by the relevant management committees. Details emerging from the projects nationwide include cuts to two projects in the Munster region where staff cuts will be made to out of school Supports, Homework Clubs and mentoring programmes and breakfast clubs. IMPACT have said that they will be writing to the Minister for Education to demonstrate how services would be affected by the cuts and will be asking the Minister to consider revising the cuts.

Responding to the claims by IMPACT, a spokesperson for the Department of Education said, " We have written to the chairs of the steering committees of all 124 projects pointing out that the government has introduced a number of measures to maintain a prudent fiscal out-turn for 2008 and to provide the basis for a sustainable approach to the financial situation in 2009. In common with other departments, the Department of Education and Science has moved to implement there measures and this correspondence with the SCPs is part of the Department's response to the achievement of government objectives."

It is understood from education sources that the move will not impact on teachers and special needs assistants.

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