asked the Minister for Education if she will indicate in relation to school attendance (a) the arrangements nationally to enforce the law (b) the average rate of non-attendance by county for the last school year (c) the number of parents prosecuted in respect of their children's non-attendance in the last school year (d) the number of children committed to residential care because of non-school attendance in the last school year (e) the number of persons employed in the area of school attendance by area and grade and (f) the plans she has for the development of the school attendance service and the tackling of the problem of truancy.
Written Answers. - School Attendance.
68.
The School Attendance Act, 1926, and subsequent amendments, makes provision for ensuring the compulsory attendance at elementary schools of children between the ages of six and 15 unless there is reasonable excuse for not doing so. The Act sets out how the law should be enforced and allows the enforcement authorities (school attendance committees in the borough areas of Dublin, Cork, Dún Laoghaire, Blackrock and Waterford and the Garda Síoch-ána in all other areas) to issue warnings and subsequently to institute proceedings in the District Court against parents of children who fail to comply with the Act.
The information requested at (b) and (c) is not available, and the information sought at (d) and (e) will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible. In regard to (f) I would refer the Deputy to my replies to Questions Nos. 193 and 194 on 10 November 1987.