Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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354. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to give the National Educational Welfare Board authority to monitor children's attendances from their first day of school instead of from the date they turn six in view of the fact that a child may start school from age four and that a habit of not sending their child to school may be formed in that two year period which then is very difficult to tackle; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20168/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware the functions and operational responsibilities of the former National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) are now part of the Child and Family Agency, which was established on 1 January 2014. Since this date the staff of the former NEWB, including its Educational Welfare Officers, have transferred to the new Agency. Within the Child and Family Agency, the statutory Education Welfare Service (EWS) has specific authority for the Agency’s general functions to monitor school attendance and ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education.

The Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, provides the legislative framework for promoting school participation, retention and regular attendance as well as tackling the causes of absenteeism and early school leaving. The legislative provisions include distinct responsibilities for parents, school authorities and the Agency in respect of school attendance. Every child has a right to an education and it is a parental responsibility to ensure that children of compulsory school age attend school or otherwise receive an education.

Recognised schools are required to record and monitor daily attendance for all students enrolled in the school, irrespective of the age of the student. Schools must report patterns of non-attendance or concerns about the educational welfare of individual students, including those aged under 6 years, to the designated Educational Welfare Officer (EWO). The EWO will then work with the family, the school and other services where appropriate to improve attendance and participation in school.

There is no legislative impediment to proactive intervention by schools and the Agency to positively support parents of children under six years of age who may be experiencing difficulties. However, as compulsory school attendance does not extend to children under six years of age, EWOs cannot consider a prosecution against parents of children under six. It is important to understand that the Act requires the Agency to exhaust all welfare interventions to remedy the situation before considering legal action in any case. The focus of an Educational Welfare Officer’s work centres on establishing the barriers preventing a child from attending school regularly and then working with the family to resolve these issues. If appropriate or necessary, the EWO will link in with other agencies and support services. Therefore only a small percentage of the overall casework ends up with parents being prosecuted.