Michael Kitt (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I wish to refer to the new National Educational Welfare Board which I welcome. As the House is aware, the Educational Welfare Act 2000 became fully operational in July 2002. I understand a budget of €5.4 million was allocated for 2003. My query relates to areas of concentrated disadvantage — for example, the RAPID areas — and to children at risk. It is important that children, who are not currently receiving an education, receive priority.

I received word from the National Educational Welfare Board that six cities and 12 regional towns will shortly have an intensive service to work with schools and families to ensure children attend school regularly. I was disappointed that Tuam and Ballinasloe were not included in the initial phase. It is important these towns have a welfare service. We have come a long way since the time the gardaí had a statutory role in rural areas in looking after the welfare of children, particularly their attendance at school. Some cities had school attendance officers but those in rural areas were used to the gardaí performing that role. Although the gardaí have a voluntary role and there are many excellent ad hoc committees involving social workers, the juvenile liaison officer scheme and principal teachers, towns in the RAPID designation should benefit from this scheme.

I understand up to 73 staff may be appointed and that there is a budget of €5.7 million for 2004, which is not enough money. I do not know whether we know the real need for the service. That should be investigated first. Nine counties were not included in the scheme. It is important that the service is available to towns in the RAPID area. The Department has designated those areas. Up to now, it has designated some schools as disadvantaged. They have provided remedial teaching. I would like to see the report on early education completed by the Committee on Education and Science in the last Oireachtas. The rapporteurs were Deputy Richard Bruton and Senator Fintan Coogan. They recommended in particular that there be a very early point of contact with homes in the specific towns and cities designated. The example they gave was the public health nursing service, which obviously provided a service for newly born children. It is a very early point of contact for families and if that sort of service was available, it would be very welcome.

Another proposal I could mention was that an individual education plan be made available for each child at a very early age. It is very important that there is early intervention. That is why I like the idea of the educational welfare service and the employment of educational welfare officers. The regions are very important in that regard. We must have the service in the regions. I understand there are five regions throughout the country. We are in the north west region and I presume we will have a service from Galway city. However, it is bluntly stated here that there will be no service in the towns of Tuam or Ballinasloe. I am interested in another sentence where the CEO states that the board will follow up urgent cases nationally where children are not receiving education. I would like to know how that will be done since I cannot see how a board will be able to do that nationally when we do not have the service in the towns I mentioned.

Once again, I welcome the fact that I have had this opportunity to raise the issue and hope that we will very soon have those welfare officers available in all the various towns in the RAPID areas and the disadvantaged towns.