Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 278: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason information promised by way of Parliamentary Questions Nos. 498 and 499 of 5 December 2006, and Parliamentary Questions Nos. 1,590 and 1,591 of 31 January 2007 has not yet been provided; when said information is expected to be available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10621/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board, NEWB, 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.

In January 2005, the NEWB issued guidelines to the management authorities of all primary and post-primary schools on reporting student absences, suspensions and expulsions. These guidelines advise that a school must report to the NEWB where a decision has been taken to expel a student. Schools are also required to periodically report to the NEWB on student absences. There are seven possible categories of absence which are reported, one of which is suspension.

The National Educational Welfare Board carries out analysis on the School Attendance Data at Primary and Post-Primary levels for each complete school year. The analysis for school year 2004-2005 was the first year in which the data in relation to suspensions was included. The NEWB has informed me that this is the most recent data available on suspensions. I am informed that the number of instances of suspensions returned to the NEWB by primary schools was 908 in a total of 239 schools. For post-primary schools the number of suspensions was 11,746 recorded in a total of 479 schools.

In accordance with NEWB guidelines, schools are not required to report the number of days lost to suspension on their annual return of attendance data. Accordingly, the total number of suspensions refers to the recorded instances of suspension only. Data in relation to the last school year 2005-06 is being analysed by the NEWB at present. The results of this analysis are expected to be available shortly and I will convey this information to the Deputy when available.