Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

We are now in the unusual situation where the Minister is attempting to rubbish the independent impartial figures that have been produced by the CSO. That is astonishing because her Department has used the CSO figures for the past ten years to back up its case. Will the Minister respond to the recent comments by the chief executive officer of the National Education Welfare Board? He stated:

We are available in the most disadvantaged areas but outside that we are just working with crisis cases. We would prefer to be doing a lot more preventative work and early intervention work.

My understanding is that the National Educational Welfare Board has sought 50 additional officers to help children falling through the education system and that the Department is prepared to give 15 of the 50 requirements. Is this not a case where the Minister sets up a body, refuses to fund the body and then blames the body and everyone else for her own failures in this area?

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