Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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18. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps he is taking to reduce the level of school truancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27093/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a general function to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The statutory Educational Welfare Service of the Agency has a key role to respond to instances where children are not attending school regularly or where there is a concern about a child's educational welfare.

Where a school attendance problem arises for a child, the Agency concentrates on finding solutions working with the child, their families, schools and other relevant agencies. This work of the Educational Welfare Service falls into two categories. It may involve a brief intervention designed to resolve a school attendance issue with a child before it escalates, or the provision of an intensive intervention, where problems of poor school attendance are evidence of more complex and deep rooted issues.More than 17,000 brief interventions were provided to children in 2013, while more than 2,400 children received an intensive intervention.

The School Completion Programme and the Home School Community Liaison Scheme, under the Department of Education and Skill's 'Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools' (DEIS) action plan, are core elements of the Agency's integrated approach to promote school attendance and prevent early school leaving.There are 144 local school completion projects throughout the country operating in 470 primary and 224 post primary schools. Under the Programme, local management committees prepare annual school retention plans, in which they identify the target cohort of children who may be at risk of poor school attendance and the range of supports to be provided to meet their needs. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) is currently reviewing the School Completion Programme. The report, due shortly, will inform the future development of the programme, to prevent early school leaving and secure good educational outcomes for at risk children.

Tusla has advised that guidelines for schools on the preparation of school attendance strategies in line with Section 22 of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, have recently been completed. The guidelines will provide advice to schools about their responsibilities to encourage regular school attendance and the practical supports which can be implemented at school level to enable children to maximise their attendance and participation in education. Tusla anticipates that the new guidelines will be disseminated to schools at the start of the 2015/ 2016 school year.