Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 654: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 will be amended to be applicable to children under the age of six in full-time education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21955/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board as the single national body with responsibility for school attendance. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The general functions of the board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education.

Under the rules for national schools, the compulsory school-going age for children is six years of age and the National Educational Welfare Board has specific responsibility for the education and welfare of children who are aged between six and 16 years of age. A person under the age of six is not a child for the purposes of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 and a parent is not under a legal obligation to ensure their attendance at school.

One of the functions of the board, as outlined in the Act, is to conduct and commission research into the reasons for non-attendance on the part of students and into the strategies and programmes designed to prevent it. The board has a programme of research in progress and has commissioned a firm of consultants to research the reasons for non-attendance by all primary and post-primary pupils, including those under six years of age. The board has indicated to my Department that the research will be completed and published in the autumn of this year. Pending receipt of the report from the board in due course, my Department has no plans to amend the Education (Welfare) Act 2000.