Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In its report, the Children's Rights Alliance recommends a number of measures. I accept that this is not primarily a matter for the Department of Education and Skills but the alliance recommends that the Government set up an inter-agency group involving the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to steer services and to see what each Department can do. The Department of Education and Skills has a particular role. The Children's Rights Alliance has recommended that the school completion programme would be extended to homeless children in non-DEIS schools. What is happening in the private rental sector in particular is that children are not necessarily in DEIS schools. If one is in a local authority estate and the local school is a DEIS school then one has access to all the services based on the demographic of the area. However, if one is in the private rented sector in a non-DEIS area one does not have access to many of the services. Children are losing out significantly on their education whether through non-attendance or due to being exhausted in school. As the Children's Rights Alliance recommends, the Department must track the progress of those children to ensure that they do not lose out on educational attainments.

Something else the Minister could and should do immediately, which is also recommended by the Children's Rights Alliance, is issue a circular providing advice and guidance to schools on educational provision for children experiencing homelessness. There could also be recommendations to boards of management to address school costs, voluntary donations etc. Some instructional advice from the Department of Education and Skills would go a long way.

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