Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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At a launch on poverty day last year, I raised the issue of education and the need for more home school liaison teachers. I know the importance of the home school liaison teacher from when I was coming up through school, whether it was getting that bar of chocolate or cup of tea, or having someone you could talk to. It was what really supported me to come through the education system. I was a young girl who had just lost her mother and I had a lot of complications with health. For many young Travellers, we are talking about complex needs. Again, we know the importance of home school liaison officers but they have to be home school liaison teachers who are not afraid to go out and bring in Traveller children and work with Traveller parents. I would be in support of more home school liaison teachers who work with and for Traveller children.

We spoke earlier about complex needs when it comes to Travellers. That could be accommodation or health, and I know what those needs are. Again, it is having that wraparound support in the school, like the home school liaison teacher, who is not just for settled children. To a certain extent, it requires a little more from teachers to go out because there is the fear of the unknown when going on the sites and interacting with people. Therefore, it is very important to support home school liaison teachers.