Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 February 2024
126. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the number of children in residential care who are without a school place, in tabular form; and the reason these children are without a school place. [7071/24]
View answer127. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education for a breakdown of children excluded from school, and the reason, for both residential and other types of care. [7072/24]
View answer131. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education in relation to the recently released numbers by TESS relating to prolonged school attendance issues, how many of these children are under Tusla care. [7078/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 126, 127 and 131 together.
Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is under the remit of my Department.
TESS operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention. TESS has three strands namely the statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS) and the two school support services the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) and the School Completion Programme (SCP). The three TESS strands work together collaboratively with schools, parents and guardians and other relevant services to achieve the best educational outcomes for children and young people. All three strands share the same national outcomes:
• improved attendance
• improved participation
• improved retention
The disaggregated data sought by the Deputy is currently neither routinely collected nor published by TESS.
