John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 270: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Clondalkin primary and post-primary school who were referred to the National Education Welfare Board for missing more than 20 days of school in the school year 2004-05. [32194/05]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Lucan primary and post-primary school which were referred to the National Educational and Welfare Board for missing more than 20 days of school in the school year 2004-05. [32195/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 271 together.

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.

To discharge its responsibilities, the board is developing a nationwide service that is accessible to schools, parents-guardians and others concerned with the welfare of young people. For this purpose, educational welfare officers, EWOs, have been appointed and deployed throughout the country to provide a welfare-focused service to support regular school attendance and discharge the board's functions locally. The service is developing on a continuing basis.

The total authorised staffing complement of the board is 94 comprising 16 HQ and support staff, five regional managers, 11 senior educational welfare officers and 62 educational welfare officers. 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. Since September, 2005 every county in Ireland is served by an educational welfare service.

In addition to the NEWB staff there are some 490 staff in education disadvantage programmes whose work involves a school attendance element. My Department is anxious to ensure that the maximum benefit is derived from these substantial personnel resources. Consequently, work is ongoing to develop appropriate protocols for integrated working between the different services involved.

As regards the Deputy's question relating to the number of referrals to the board in respect of pupils enrolled in primary and post-primary schools in the Clondalkin and Lucan areas, resulting from absences of 20 days or more in the school year 2004-05, my Department has requested the National Educational Welfare Board to respond directly to the Deputy on the matter.