Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is again welcome to the House. This is a technical Bill providing the Minister for Education with a direct line for policy direction and oversight of Tusla in respect of its education welfare functions. The functions vested in the Minister for Education in last year's statutory instrument cover the home school community liaison scheme, the school completion programme and the Educational Welfare Service, which make up the three strands of Tusla's education support service.

Tusla stated that all three strands share the same national outcomes, that is, improved attendance, participation and retention. In short, these programmes are about not letting children fall through the cracks. That is the most important fundamental role of the Government. We as politicians are transient custodians of this country and we bequeath it to the children of this country. We have a duty to each child to allow him or her to reach his or her full potential through education.

Whenever I think about education I am reminded of Plutarch's words, "The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled". While some filling is necessary in order to pass the leaving certificate, the system has rightly received renewed scrutiny in the past few months. Would we all not rather a passion for learning be instilled in our youth? Who will be better served by this inspiration then students who are at risk of not reaching their potential in the education system because of economic and social disadvantage and children and young people who have been identified as potentially being at risk of early school leaving, are out of school or have not successfully transferred to an alternative learning site? They are the two target demographics of the schemes now under the remit of the Minister for Education.

I speak with some experience on this issue. Over the years many children have come into my home on an emergency or short-term care basis. They may not have been in education and may have gone from house to house for a year or year and a half before they can find a forever home and, therefore, a forever school. I am delighted to see this Bill finally going through the House and somebody taking the issue seriously.

I understand social workers in Tusla are extremely busy. One area over which I constantly fight with social workers is getting children into school. They already have had disruption to their family life and having them pulled away from school life is another disruption for them. It can be very traumatic.

I support the Bill and the Minister for Education in her very important task of looking after these children. I hope she can cause our youth to receive the inspiration that can be so transformative in attitudes towards education and the experiences that our children have in our education system.