Written answers

Thursday, 15 June 2006

Department of Education and Science

Education Welfare Service

2:00 pm

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 82: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the cost of employing an additional education welfare officer at the National Educational Welfare Board, including salary, pension and expenses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23232/06]

Photo of Brian Lenihan JnrBrian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Educational (Welfare) Act 2000 provides a comprehensive framework which promotes regular school attendance and tackles the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The Act established the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) as the single agency with responsibility for school attendance in the State. The general functions of the Board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education.

The Board is developing a nationwide service, on a continuing basis, 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 deployed throughout the country to provide a welfare-focused service to support regular school attendance and discharge the Board's functions locally. The total authorised staffing complement of the Board is 94 comprising 16 HQ and support staff, 5 regional managers, 12 Senior EWOs and 61 EWOs. Five regional teams are in place with bases in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.

The Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) is the grade within the NEWB with a core function of service delivery. The duties of the EWO include fostering an appreciation of the value of education, advising schools and parents on school attendance issues and on strategies to promote regular school attendance, dealing with poor attendance or early school leaving case referrals from schools, using a welfare-orientated approach and initiating legal proceedings, under the Act, where appropriate. In particular, EWOs are responsible for children who are at risk and for those who are experiencing difficulties in school. Their objective is to resolve any impediments to these children receiving an education through regular attendance at school. EWOs are also responsible for seeking alternative schooling for those students who have been expelled, suspended or refused admittance to a school.

The current pay scale for an EWO ranges from €34,471 to €54,984 (inclusive of one Long Service Increment). The Board have advised me that the salary cost (inclusive of PRSI and pension) to employ an additional EWO at the minimum point of the scale is €38,176.36. There are also accommodation costs associated with new appointments and ongoing utilities costs.

Service delivery personnel are required to travel in response to case referrals and to deliver a service to schools and families in the course of their normal duties. The rates paid for all travel and subsistence, where appropriate, in respect of these duties are in accordance with those specified by the Department of Finance. I have also been informed by the Board that the average cost of travel and subsistence for the service delivery personnel in 2005 amounted to €4,800.

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