Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 528: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of prosecutions taken by the National Education Welfare Board in respect of school attendance for each of the years since its inception. [6331/09]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) as the statutory body with responsibility for school attendance.

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's network of Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) is the key means by which the Board delivers on its statutory remit to ensure that each child attends and benefits from education. EWOs deal with approximately 10,000 cases, involving children with reported school attendance difficulties, per annum. Officers work closely with the family, the school and other support services to address the particular issues for each child. The reasons for non attendance are many and complex and included are parents who fail to enrol their child in a school or to ensure that their child attends school regularly.

I have been advised by the NEWB that legal action for non attendance at school is taken when all other steps have failed and following consultation with the school and other services. Court action must ultimately be in the best interests of the child. A School Attendance Notice (SAN) is the first step in enforcing the law. When a school attendance notice is issued, the situation is monitored and the parent is given the opportunity to address the underlying issues. Occasionally, the involvement of other services with the family may be sufficient to bring about change. In exceptional cases, where there is no change and the child remains out of school, the Board will consider taking a prosecution. The first SANs for non attendance at school issued in 2005. A total of 775 SANs issued for the period 2005 to the end of 2008.

When a SAN issues the Board monitors the situation and gives the parent the opportunity to address the underlying causes of poor attendance. Occasionally the involvement of other services with the family may be sufficient to bring about a change. The first legal prosecutions for non attendance under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, were heard during 2006 in the District Courts. There were 34 summonses issued against parents in relation to 17 children in 2006 while a further 55 new summonses against parents in relation to 36 children were issued in 2007. In 2008 51 new summonses issued against parents in relation to 35 children. This brings the overall number of summonses issued against parents by the Board since its establishment to 140 in relation to 88 children. I am advised that 73 cases have been brought forward to 2009. This can occur for a variety of reasons including, case adjourned with leave to re-enter, probation act applied etc.