Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 November 2004
40 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Science the numbers employed as education welfare officers in each county; the number of referrals to the education welfare board from each county since 1 January 2004; her views on whether the number of officers is sufficient to meet demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30514/04]
View answerSince its formal launch in December 2003, the aim of the National Educational Welfare Board, NEWB, has been to provide a service to the most disadvantaged areas and most at risk groups. Five regional teams have been established with bases in counties Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford and staff have been deployed in areas of greatest disadvantage and in areas designated under the Government's RAPID programme. A total of 13 towns with significant school going populations, 12 of which are designated under the Government's RAPID programme, also now have an educational welfare officer allocated to them. In addition, the board will follow up on urgent cases nationally where children are not currently receiving an education.
I understand from the board that it had 10,572 cases on hand at the end of June 2004 distributed across its five operational regions. I am arranging for the board to provide the information on a county basis as requested by the Deputy.
During the summer of 2004, the board undertook a survey on the levels of school attendance for the school year 2003-2004. This is the first time that data on school attendance at national level have been collected. The findings of the survey support the targeting policy followed by the board to date in appointing educational welfare officers to the areas of greatest disadvantage. However, the board has indicated to my Department that more staff are needed to work at a local level throughout the country and has sought an increase in its staffing complement.
My Department has already conveyed approval to the NEWB for the filling of a further ten educational welfare officer posts bringing the authorised staffing for the board from 84 to 94. Decisions relating to the assignment of the additional staff to specific areas are a matter for the board which is an independent statutory agency.
I will be keeping the issue of the NEWB's staffing under review in the light of the roll out of services and any further proposals that the board may put to me in relation to clearly identified priority needs.
