Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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1048. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools in Dublin Bay North that have access to full-time home school community liaison teachers in 2023 and 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47436/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) scheme is one of the key supports provided by my Department as part of the overall DEIS programme. Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) manage the HSCL scheme on behalf of my Department. The scheme seeks to promote partnership between parents, teachers and community family support services, with a view to supporting improved attendance, participation and retention.

All DEIS urban primary schools and all DEIS post-primary schools are included in the HSCL scheme, which currently serves 687 DEIS schools, catering for approximately 207,000 children and young people. The scheme is delivered by 528 full-time HSCL coordinators assigned to HSCL duties either in individual schools or in clusters of schools.

HSCL co-ordinators are released from teaching duties, for a maximum of five years, in order to work intensively with and support parents/guardians. The overarching goal of the HSCL coordinator is to improve educational outcomes for children through their work with the key adults in the child’s life.

Over €36 million is spent annually on the pay costs of HSCL co-ordinators.

In addition to the above, a pilot project to support Traveller and Roma pupils, under the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, is in operation in 4 locations with 1 HSCL co-ordinator assigned in each location. A further 10 HSCL coordinators support attendance, participation and retention among Traveller and Roma students, across 14 non-DEIS post-primary schools.

In the 2025/26 school year there are 25 HSCL co-ordinators employed across 33 DEIS schools in Dublin Bay North. 15 posts are assigned to one school and the remaining 10 posts are shared between two or more schools.