Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 184: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will report on the current roll-out of educational welfare officers; when the full complement of 300 will be employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32735/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

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. The service is developing on a continuing basis. The total authorised staffing complement is currently 94, comprising 16 HQ and support staff, five regional managers, 12 senior educational welfare officers and 61 educational welfare officers. 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. 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. Since September 2005, every county in Ireland is served by an educational welfare service. In addition, the board will follow up on urgent cases nationally where children are not currently receiving an education.

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. I will be keeping the issue of the National Educational Welfare Board's staffing under review. However, I am anxious to secure greater efficiencies through integrated working and by examining the scope for improvements in operational procedures.