Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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415. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has been consulted about proposed restructuring of educational welfare services within Tusla; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49891/22]

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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416. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she supports the proposed restructuring of Tusla given that the policy and finance remit of education welfare services sits in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49892/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 415 and 416 together.

Responsibility for education welfare functions under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, transferred back to the Department of Education with effect from 1st January 2021 in line with Transfer of Functions Order SI 588 of 2020.

The transfer of functions also includes responsibility for the administration of the non-statutory Home School Community Liaison Scheme and School Completion Programme. Tusla is responsible for the delivery of these services under the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013, through Tusla Education Support Services (TESS) and Alternative Education and Registration Service (AEARS).

Tusla’s Structural Reform programme has been ongoing for a number of years. Its purpose is to reimagine and implement a revised organisational structure and new ways of working for Tusla. Consultations are ongoing on how best to structure the organisation in preparation for the years ahead.

The senior management structure has been adjusted so that an executive Management team of five national directors will report directly to the CEO and six regional areas have been established, each with its own Regional Chief Officer.

Currently, Tusla are considering the balance of regional and national functions. This is a consultative process giving consideration to what might best assist the Agency to achieve its desired objectives, including local ownership and national leadership in a decentralised model.

The Department of Education has been consulted and continues to remain engaged with the process in relation to any of the functions transferred to the Department.