Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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699. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs arising from reports her Department may have received from school authorities throughout the country appertaining to the health and welfare of children, her plans to take any particular or specific measures to combat issues arising; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7438/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Tusla has advised that its Educational Welfare Service (EWS) has responsibility to ensure that every child attends school regularly, or otherwise receives a certain minimum education, to support regular school attendance, tackle problems of absenteeism and to provide an educational welfare service. Tusla EWS receives referrals from school authorities, parents and others relating to concerns for the educational welfare of individual children. When a young person is referred to Tusla EWS by a school, parent or another agency the initial work of the Education Welfare Officer (EWO) is to assess the nature, scope and depth of the problem.

Tusla EWS operates three specific programmes. The Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) provided to 400 DEIS schools to facilitate positive relationships between parents and their children’s school. The School Completion Programme (SCP) provides intensive supports to students at risk of early school leaving to enable these students to complete their education. Both of these programmes intervene at the earliest stage when school attendance or school participation difficulties emerge in order to support parents, students and schools to address any difficulties early. When these interventions fail to address the presenting problem a referral is made to the Statutory Education Welfare Service.

When a formal referral is made action taken then falls into two distinct categories. The first is a brief intervention (provided to 3,751 pupils in 2015/2016 school year) whereby low level intervention proportionate to the need of the individual and the family can often effectively resolve the issue, thus preventing attendance problems escalating. For example, this work includes assistance with finding a school place and advice and support around Section 29 Appeals, suspensions and expulsions.

When brief interventions fail to address the presenting problem Tusla EWS open case files. In the school year 2015/2016 Tusla EWS worked 6,920 such cases. Problems of poor school attendance that are the manifestation of more complex and deep rooted difficulties can take significant time, expert help and on-going support from Tusla EWS to make progress. Such work can involve developing a plan with the family, young person and school to address the various barriers identified. These intensive interventions are used when brief interventions have not been successful, or are not appropriate in the circumstances. Ultimately when all other reasonable interventions fail parents may be prosecuted under the Education Welfare Act (2000) legislation.