Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 605: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of vacant education welfare officer positions in the National Education Welfare Board; the number of education welfare officers currently employed by the Board; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7985/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The complex issue of school attendance is systematically addressed through the provisions of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000. This act established the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) in 2002 – mandating it with supervising and implementing the provisions of the Act to effectively ensure that 'each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education' (Section 10). The legislation establishes a framework for promoting regular school attendance, participation and retention as well as tackling the manifold problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The Act also charges the NEWB with responsibility for children who are being educated outside of recognised schools, for example at home, as well as 16 – 17 year olds who leave school to take up employment.

In relation to monitoring school attendance, the NEWB has 90 sanctioned Educational Welfare Service posts, 74 of which are currently filled (59 Educational Welfare Officers, 12 Senior Educational Welfare Officers and 3 Regional Managers). The Board also informs me that an additional 2 Educational Welfare Officers are due to retire at the end of the month.

Since mid-2009 the Board has an expanded remit which includes responsibility for the Home / School / Community Liaison scheme and the School Completion Programme in addition to the Educational Welfare Service. Under the extended remit, the Board is obliged to devise a single strategic approach to attendance, participation and retention. The Board is currently engaged in developing an integrated service model which would respond to the complexity of issues that impact on attendance, participation and retention. That model will be implemented in the academic year 2012-2013. This implementation will include appropriate management information systems to capture data for the measuring and monitoring of outcomes.

In the interim, and whilst the model of integrated practice is being finalised, the Board has put in place a number of measures to ensure a service to all schools. In areas where there are gaps, the following categories of referral have to be accorded priority.

Ø No school place

Ø Refusal to enrol

Ø Non transfer from Primary to Post Primary School

Ø Where a student has been expelled

Ø Court directed work

Ø Child discharged from residential care without a school placement

Ø Educational welfare issues combined with child protection/serious child welfare concerns.