Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers
of vacant education welfare officer positions in the National Education Welfare Board; the
number of education welfare officers currently employed by the Board; and if she will make a
statement on the matter. [7985/12]
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald): The complex issue of
school attendance is systematically addressed through the provisions of the Education
(Welfare) Act, 2000. This act established the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) in
2002 — mandating it with supervising and implementing the provisions of the Act to effectively
ensure that ‘each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum
education’ (Section 10). The legislation establishes a framework for promoting regular school
attendance, participation and retention as well as tackling the manifold problems of absenteeism
and early school leaving. The Act also charges the NEWB with responsibility for children
who are being educated outside of recognised schools, for example at home, as well as 16-17
year olds who leave school to take up employment.
In relation to monitoring school attendance, the NEWB has 90 sanctioned Educational Welfare
Service posts, 74 of which are currently filled (59 Educational Welfare Officers, 12 Senior
Educational Welfare Officers and 3 Regional Managers). The Board also informs me that an
additional 2 Educational Welfare Officers are due to retire at the end of the month.
Since mid-2009 the Board has an expanded remit which includes responsibility for the Home
/ School / Community Liaison scheme and the School Completion Programme in addition to
the Educational Welfare Service. Under the extended remit, the Board is obliged to devise a
single strategic approach to attendance, participation and retention. The Board is currently
engaged in developing an integrated service model which would respond to the complexity of
issues that impact on attendance, participation and retention. That model will be implemented
in the academic year 2012-2013. This implementation will include appropriate management
information systems to capture data for the measuring and monitoring of outcomes.
In the interim, and whilst the model of integrated practice is being finalised, the Board has
put in place a number of measures to ensure a service to all schools. In areas where there are
gaps, the following categories of referral have to be accorded priority.
— No school place.
— Refusal to enrol.
— Non transfer from Primary to Post Primary School.
— Where a student has been expelled.
— Court directed work.
— Child discharged from residential care without a school placement.
— Educational welfare issues combined with child protection/serious child welfare
concerns.
Question No. 606 answered with Question No. 95.
Missing Persons
607. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will
review a matter (details supplied) regarding the helpline. [8048/12]
609