Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

343. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she supports the proposed restructuring of Tusla given the policy and finance remit of education welfare services sits in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61674/22]

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

344. 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. [61675/22]

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

345. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way that her Department can ensure that the focus of educational welfare services remains on attendance, participation, retention if proposed restructuring by Tusla services goes ahead; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61676/22]

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

346. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way that she will ensure that her Department's funds remain targeted on the best educational outcomes for all young people if TESS is disbanded under Tusla restructuring proposals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61677/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 343, 344, 345 and 346 together.

Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention. TESS has three strands namely the Statutory Educational Welfare Service and the two school support services HSCL and SCP. The three TESS strands work together collaboratively with schools, families and other relevant services to achieve the best educational outcomes for children and young people. All three strands share, and will continue to share, the same national outcomes of improved attendance, improved participation and improved retention.

Responsibility for education welfare functions under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, transferred back to my Department 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 (HSCL) and School Completion Programme (SCP). Tusla is responsible for the delivery of these services under the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013.

The amendments to the Child and Family Agency Act provide that I, as Minister for Education, in respect of the education welfare functions of the Agency, shall develop an annual Performance Statement to provide the Agency with specific policy guidance, direction, prioritisation and resource parameters in respect of each year for the preparation of its annual business plan. Furthermore, the Act provides that the Minister for Education shall determine the maximum amount of net expenditure that may be incurred by Tusla in respect of its educational welfare functions for a financial year and notify Tusla of this amount in the context of the Performance Statement. A business plan is developed by Tusla based on this performance statement. This ensures that Tusla’s Education Support Service and Alternative Education and Registration Service are aligned with the priorities of the Department of Education. The Performance Statement for 2023 has recently issued to Tusla from my Department.

In the context of the transfer of functions a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was agreed by myself and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The MOU acknowledges that as Tusla will now be receiving funding from two different Votes, it is necessary for each funding stream to be accounted for separately in line with Public Financial Policies and Procedures. In that regard, the MOU stipulates that these funding streams are not interchangeable and cannot be used for purposes other than that for which they were voted.

I understand that the Tusla’s Structural Reform programme commenced in 2020. 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. 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.

My Department has been consulted and continues to remain engaged with the process in relation to the TESS functions.