Vol. 558 No. 4
271 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Education and Science when there will be a full national educational welfare officer service; the person in the interim who is providing the protection of the law for young people covered by the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000; if it is likely that the State in the future will be sued by young people who were denied the protection of the law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24824/02]
The educational welfare service is a major new national service. As announced at the time, the National Educational Welfare Board was appointed last year and the service will be phased in over a period of time. As this is a major new service with a new approach and new systems, it is not possible to be specific at this stage regarding the timeframe that the provision of the full service will entail. It is, however, the board's intention that in rolling out the new service, priority will be given to those children who are not in receipt of an education and to areas of high disadvantage.
As in all other situations, it is a matter for each individual as to whether he or she might wish to take legal action in a certain set of circumstances.
