Vol. 537 No. 5
79 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Education and Science the reasons for the delay in fully implementing the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000; the funding which has been spent since its enactment in recruiting additional school attendance officers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17112/01]
The Education (Welfare) Act provides for the establishment of a national educational welfare board and a nationwide educational welfare service, with a view to ensuring that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives an adequate level of education. The board will be given a lead role in developing co-ordinated supports and strategies to promote and encourage regular attendance at school and to ensure that young people remain actively involved in education up to early adulthood.
Nominations to the board have now been received. On 29 May, I announced the establishment of the new board. The board is established on an interim basis at this stage. The first task of the new board will be to draw up detailed plans and preparations for phasing in an education welfare service, as provided for under the legislation.
The recruitment and deployment of educational welfare officers will be considered by the board as part of the planning and preparations for the implementation of the provisions of the Act. The Act provides for the appointment of educational welfare officers and stipulates that existing school attendance officers will transfer to the board when statutorily established. The recruitment and employment of school attendance officers since July 2000, when the Education (Welfare) Act was signed into law, is a matter for the relevant local authorities.
It is my intention that the planning and preparation process for full implementation of the provisions of the Act should proceed as speedily as possible. To that end, the inaugural meeting of the new board will take place this week.
