Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 53: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of education welfare officers now employed by the National Educational Welfare Board; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27563/05]

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 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. Towns which have an educational welfare officer allocated to them include Dundalk, Drogheda, Navan. Athlone, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Bray, Clonmel, Tralee, Ennis, Sligo, Naas, Castlebar, Longford, Tuam, Tullamore, Letterkenny and Portlaoise.

In addition, the board will follow up on urgent cases nationally where children are not currently receiving an education.

The service is developing on a continuing basis. The total authorised staffing complement is currently 94, comprising 16 headquarter and support staff, five regional managers, 12 senior educational welfare officers, SEWOs, and 61 educational welfare officers, EWOs.

Since September 2005, every county in Ireland is served by an educational welfare service.