Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 342: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when an education welfare officer will be employed for the Kildare area. [16954/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Since its formal launch in December 2003, the aim of the National Educational Welfare Board has been to provide a service to the most disadvantaged areas and the most at-risk groups. Five regional teams have been established with bases in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford, and staff have been deployed in areas of greatest disadvantage and in areas designated under the Government's RAPID programme. Thirteen towns with significant school-going populations, 12 of which are designated under the Government's RAPID programme, also now have an educational welfare officer allocated to them. In addition, the board will follow up urgent cases nationally where children are not currently receiving an education.

During the summer of 2004, the board undertook a survey of the levels of school attendance for the school year 2003-04. That is the first time that data on school attendance at national level have been collected. The findings of the survey support the targeting policy followed by the board to date in appointing educational welfare officers to the areas of greatest disadvantage.

In response to a request from the board, my Department approved the recruitment of an additional ten staff in November 2004 to meet identified needs. I understand that the board is currently at an advanced stage in the recruitment process. Decisions relating to the assignment of the additional staff to specific areas are a matter for the board, which is an independent statutory agency. The board has confirmed to my Department that when the additional staff are recruited, an educational welfare officer will be assigned to County Kildare.