Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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303. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the names of the agencies or departmental sections that she has charged with making investigations and inquiries further to information (details supplied) concerning forced absence sanction and punishments at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14379/17]

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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304. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the timeframe within which she will have received a report providing her with the results, the inquiries and investigations she will initiate further to information (details supplied) concerning forced absence sanction and punishments at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14381/17]

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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305. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the evident ongoing excessive use of forced absence punishments in a school (details supplied) with regard to the negative educational impact on students at the school. [14383/17]

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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306. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the evident ongoing excessive use of forced absence punishments in a school (details supplied) with regard to the emotional and development impacts for students at the school and for their families. [14385/17]

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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307. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the evident ongoing excessive use of forced absence punishments in a school (details supplied) with regard to student school references and the adverse impact that such a high level of suspensions and expulsions will have on so many students' summer work and first career prospects beyond second level. [14387/17]

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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308. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps she is empowered to take to investigate and to ensure that the evident excessive use of forced absence punishments in a school (details supplied) ceases immediately; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14389/17]

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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309. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if any State agencies or Departments have, within the past 12 months, been in contact with a school (details supplied) concerning the excessive forced absence punishment regime and records there; when such contacts were made; the nature of the contact; the details of the responses received from the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14391/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 to 309, inclusive, together.

The Educational Welfare Service (EWS) of Tusla has confirmed that it has written to the school in question and offered to convene a meeting with the local Education Welfare Service team and the school's pastoral care team given the high levels of suspension and expulsion in the school. The purpose of the meeting would be to explore the use of the suspension process and offer guidance on alternative strategies such as restorative practices and to signpost school support services such as the National Education Psychological Services and the National Behaviour Support Service. No response has been received from the school to date. The local Education Welfare Officer continues to provide a service to any parent seeking advice and guidance in matters related to suspension and/or expulsion.

Educational Welfare Officers have no powers to compel Boards of Management of schools to act in a particular way, or to meet with them in matters of policy formation. Tusla EWS in its former iteration as the National Education Welfare Board published Guidelines for schools on Drafting a Code of Behaviour in 2007. While the Guidelines have a statutory basis in the Education Welfare Act the EWS cannot compel schools to follow them, other than advising and assisting parents in the matter of a potential appeal.

Further, my Department has no power to compel schools to manage their day to day business in any way other than those laid out in the Education Welfare Act.

Through the Whole School Evaluation Process, the Department of Education and Skills examines all policies and procedures of schools and makes recommendations for any changes. These Whole School Evaluation reports are publicly available on the Department of Education and Skills website.