asked the Minister for Education, if he will appoint attendance officers to serve the new town of Tallaght, County Dublin having regard to the fact that Tallaght is now a major urban centre of population.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Attendance Officers for Tallaght (County Dublin).
7.
The School Attendance Act, 1926, specifies the county boroughs and urban districts in which school attendance committees which employ the school attendance officers, may be established.
County Dublin is not specified in the schedule and therefore it is not possible to authorise the local authority concerned to employ school attendance officers to serve the new town of Tallaght, County Dublin.
The whole question of school attendance enforcement is under review following the recommendations of the Task Force on Child Care.
Would the Minister agree that urgent amendment is needed there having regard to the fact that the town of Tallaght technically perhaps does not qualify as an urban area which may seem rather strange when its population exceeds 70,000?
I would agree. It would appear that an amendment to the Act is required but as the Deputy knows one of the recommendations of the task force has been to transfer responsibility for this from the Department of Education to the Department of Health. We are awaiting a Government decision on that.
In view of the rapid rate of urbanisation that has taken place generally, may I ask the Minister of State whether the Department of Education have at any stage sought to recommend to the Department of the Environment that more new incorporated urban areas should be provided for in order to allow her Department to function effectively in that connection?
I do not have that kind of information but I am sure that if there has been any such development we can inform the Deputy.
May I ask the Minister of State to communicate with me if the information is available in the Department?
I will.
Thank you.
Is the Minister aware that in many cases these attendance officers are continuing to work over the age of 70 and in some cases 75? If the Minister would review that policy it could probably make more jobs available and the persons so employed might be more effectively used in the areas mentioned by the Deputy.
That is an entirely separate question.