Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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459. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of school absences recorded in the State in each of the past three years; the number of school absences recorded in north County Kildare in particular since the outbreak of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44501/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Under Section 21 (6) of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 schools are required submit a report to the Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) on the levels of attendance at that school during the immediately preceding school year within 6 weeks of the end of that school year. TESS holds this data on school attendance at a County level.

The most recent published data on the number of school absences recorded in the State held by TESS is for the school year 2017/2018. TESS have informed my Department that there were 5,807,744 absences recorded for Primary School children and 4,934,256 in Post Primary. This is a national total of 10,742,000 of days lost to absence for the 2018/2019 school year. The total absencesfor the 2017/2018 school year in County Kildare was 96,043.

Schools have recently submitted data regarding the 2019/2020 academic year which is currently being collated and data regarding the 2020/2021 academic year will not be submitted by schools to TESS until early 2021.