Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 296: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide a breakdown of the absentee rate of 20 days or more per annum for the past three school years for each of the first-level schools in the Dublin Mid-West constituency. [14294/11]

Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 297: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide a breakdown of the absentee rate of 20 days or more per annum for the past three school years for each of the second-level schools in the Dublin Mid-West constituency. [14295/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 296 and 297 together.

The National Educational Welfare Board is the statutory body with responsibility for school attendance. The Board compiles statistics based on attendance returns, at the end of each school year. The findings from these reports help to identify trends in school attendance.

In relation to the Deputy's specific question on student absenteeism in the Dublin Mid-West constituency, I am informed that data in the format requested is not available on the basis of constituency breakdown. There is however data available for Co. Dublin in respect of the 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/2009 school years.

Analysis of this data indicates that 13.9%, 14.8% and 16.3% of primary pupils were absent for more than 20 days during the 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/2009 school years respectively. The figure for post-primary pupils was 18.3%, 19.6% and 18.8% for 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/2009 respectively.

The NEWB has issued information leaflets to parents and run public awareness campaigns to raise the profile of school attendance. It also operates an Education Helpline to provide information on attendance and related matters.

To provide for a single, more focussed structure at local, regional and national levels, the remit of the National Educational Welfare Board was expanded to bring the Home School Community Liaison, the School Completion Programme, the Visiting Teachers Service for Travellers and National Educational Welfare Service under one common management team.

The School Completion Programme includes attendance tracking as one of its main preventative strategies. HSCL Coordinators work with parents to promote school attendance. These services are available to all schools participating in DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) the Action Plan for educational inclusion. This integrated approach is part of the Government's overall approach to Transforming Public Services and will significantly benefit service delivery to children and their families and assist schools in meeting the challenges they face in tackling poor attendance and early school leaving.