Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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830. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if consideration will be given to restoring the visiting teacher system for Traveller children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30308/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the Visiting Teachers Service for Travellers was discontinued with effect from September 2011, in line with Department of Education and Skills policy on the phasing out of segregated Traveller provision.

The Child and Family Agency, established in 2014 under the aegis of my Department, has statutory responsibility in relation to school attendance and supports for young people at risk of educational disadvantage, including traveller children. Through its Educational Welfare Service, the Agency responds to instances where children, including children from the Traveller community, are not attending school regularly, leading to concerns for their educational welfare.

I am advised that the Department of Education policy in relation to Traveller Education is informed by the Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy which was launched in 2006 following wide ranging consultation with Traveller representative groups and other relevant stakeholders. The principle of inclusion is at the core of the Strategy. The focus of both current and future provision is on the development of an inclusive school environment through the whole school planning process, teaching practice, admissions policies, codes of behaviour and whole school evaluation. In keeping with this principle, additional resources provided in the education system for children are allocated on the basis of identified individual educational need. This includes Traveller children who require additional resources based on need and not on their identity as Travellers. Segregated Traveller specific programmes such as the Visiting Teacher for Travellers were phased out in line with the principle of inclusion.

School attendance is one of the critical building blocks of positive educational outcomes.  While educational outcomes for Traveller children continue to improve, in most areas attendance still falls well behind the national average and we are aware that there are still areas where attendance and participation among Traveller children is not improving consistently. Following the launch of the 2017 National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, my Department is committed to working with the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Justice and Equality, Tusla Educational Welfare Services and Traveller and Roma representative groups to examine ways in which Traveller children’s attendance and participation may be further enhanced especially in areas where attendance is of greatest concern.