Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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261. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students who have been expelled from primary schools by county in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [20055/23]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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262. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students who have been expelled from secondary schools by county in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [20056/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 262 together.

In line with the arrangements set out as part of the current Government formation, since January 2021 Tusla Education Support Services (TESS), is under the remit of my Department.

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 (EWS) and the two school support services the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) and the School Completion Programme (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 the same national outcomes:

- Improved Attendance

- Improved Participation

- Improved Retention

This data is collated by TESS and analysed to provide information, which can be used by TESS to monitor non-attendance, expulsion, and suspensions in all primary and post-primary schools at national level. Tusla publishes its analysis of school attendance data and the latest report relating to the 2018/19 school year was published earlier this year - see

I do not propose to provide a county breakdown for expulsions in primary and post-primary schools as the overall number per school year is low when compared with the total school going population.

School expulsions from the 2020/21 school year in primary schools are as follows;

School year 2020/2021 : 13

School year 2021/2022 : 8

School year 2022/present : 7

School expulsions from the 2020/21 school year broken down by province for post primary schools are as follows;

School year 2020/21

School year 2021/2022

School year 2022/present