Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2014
955. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to set out the number of education welfare officers in Dublin on maternity leave or sick leave or any other form of leave; their locations; and if they have been replaced. [13483/14]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware the functions and operational responsibilities of the former National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) are now part of the new Child and Family Agency, which was established on 1st January 2014. Since this date the staff of the former NEWB, including its Educational Welfare Officers, have transferred to the new Agency.
Within the Child and Family Agency, the statutory Education Welfare Service (EWS) has specific responsibility for the Agency’s general function to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The Agency has advised me that the details of Educational Welfare Officers in Dublin who are on maternity leave, sick leave or any other form of leave, their locations and whether they have been replaced, are as follows:
|
Leave type |
Number of EWOs |
Location |
Replaced |
|
Maternity |
3 |
1 - Dublin 24 1 - Dublin 8 and Dublin 2 1 - Dublin 13 |
No |
|
Sick leave |
1 |
Dublin 15 |
No |
|
Parental Leave (full time) |
1 |
Dublin 8 and Dublin 10 |
No |
|
Secondment |
1 |
Dublin 12 |
No |
To ensure continuity of service and a targeted approach to areas and cases of greatest need, all locations where a leave event exists receive a service provided by the Senior Educational Welfare Officer, responding to the most critical situations where children are out of school or have no place. I have requested further details from the Agency of any plans that may exist to provide additional cover for such temporary leave events.
The Child and Family Agency will deliver an integrated approach to educational welfare services through the continued reform of work practices in its three service strands, namely; the Education Welfare Service; Home School Community Liaison Programme (402 school-based co-ordinators); and School Completion Programme (€24.756m in funding provided to support 124 school cluster projects and related initiatives). This integrated model of service is designed to provide an enhanced response to the needs of children, families and schools.
The decision by Government to amalgamate the NEWB and its services into the new Child and Family Agency broadens the focus of the Agency and tackles educational welfare as a key outcome for children in its own right and as a positive contributor to other outcomes. It will provide opportunities for more effective working amongst the range of professionals involved in directly supporting children and their families.
