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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 21 Apr 1998

Vol. 489 No. 6

Written Answers. - School Attendance.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

774 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science the steps, if any, which are being taken to implement the proposals of the committee and task force in his Department which examined the issued of absenteeism in view of the high level of absenteeism particularly among disadvantaged school pupils; the legislation, if any, which will be brought forward to deal with this issue; and when welfare officers in his Department will be provided throughout the country and, in particular, in the county areas where no school attendance service, other than the gardaí, is in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9380/98]

The committee to which the Deputy refers reviewed the operation of the School Attendance Act and produced the school attendance-truancy report. Following publication of the School Attendance-Truancy report, a task force was established in my Department to examine submissions received from interested parties in response to that report and to consider and make recommendations as to future action to address the problem of truancy at first and second level.

The findings of the task force are being taken into account in my Department's current work on the preparation of draft legislation to deal with the complex issues involved in non-school attendance. Future arrangements for the operation of the school attendance service are among the issues being considered in this context. My objective is to bring heads of the proposed legislation to Government in the autumn and to publish draft legislation before the end of the year.

I recently launched an important new initiative aimed specifically at children in the eight to 15 year age group who have dropped out of school or are at risk of dropping out. A sum of £2.96 million will be provided over 1998 and 1999 for this initiative which will focus on structured pilot projects in urban and rural areas of disadvantage. The objective is to test models for the development of an integrated area based co-ordination of services to cater for the young people in question. I am confident that the outcome of this initiative, coupled with the new legislative provisions which I will be bringing forward, will have a major impact on addressing our current school attendance problems.

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