Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ms Tanya Ward of the Children's Rights Alliance was before the committee and she stated that we need more education welfare officers. She made the point that many of the children in Oberstown had not completed school and that if there had been early intervention many of those children would not be there. I welcome what the Minister stated about the task force and the blueprint policy. There seem, however, to be ongoing issues in respect of the understaffing of the school completion programme. That has been the case, particularly, since responsibility for the programme was transferred to the Minister's Department from the Department of Education and Skills. Are we really going to increase the numbers of these education welfare officers? Has the Minster given any consideration to this programme moving back to the Department of Education and Skills?

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