asked the Minister for Education if she will appoint a permanent full-time school attendance officer to a school (details supplied) in an effort to improve the average daily attendance at this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Attendance Officer.
14.
The School Attendance Act, 1926, specifies the county boroughs and urban districts in which school attendance committees which employ the school attendance officers may be established. County Dublin is not specified in the schedule and, therefore, it is not possible to authorise the local authority concerned to employ school attendance officers to serve the Darndale area.
The Minister must have the level of absenteeism at this school on record. It is very serious and warrants serious action by the Department. It does not reflect in any way on the commitment of the principal, management or staff of the school. Does she consider that the exclusion of County Dublin from authority to appoint attendance officers does not prohibit her Department from reversing that order? Does she agree that in 1981 I made representations to her Department in relation to this matter and received a commitment at that time from the then Minister of State that a special committee would be set up to examine this question?
As the Deputy is aware, the authority responsible for the enforcement of legislation in relation to school attendance in the Darndale area is the Garda Síochána under the terms of the School Attendance Act, 1926.
The Minister has not addressed herself to any of the serious issues I raised. Does she accept that the type of supervision, which the Garda can ill afford, is totally inadequate in terms of the needs of the school or is she interested in addressing the problem at all?
The Deputy is aware that the deployment of Garda manpower is a matter for the Garda authorities.
The problems at this school are the Minister's responsibility. Is she going to address the problem? This kind of evasive response to a very serious issue is irresponsible.
There is no necessity to ask questions in the form of a rather truculent speech.
I apologise to the House, but I have been extremely disturbed and disappointed by the Minister's response here and that is my reason for becoming somewhat emotive about it. I apologise to you, Sir, and to the House. Does the Minister accept that this problem in this school is serious and that the type of supervision which the Garda afford is inadequate?
I assure the Deputy that I am concerned about the attendance at this school, but I reiterate that the authority responsible for the enforcement of the school attendance legislation are the Garda Síochána under the terms of the School Attendance Act, 1926 — I can only repeat that to the Deputy. The deployment of that Garda manpower and the overseeing of the School Attendance Act is a matter for the Garda authorities and I am sure the Deputy will raise that with the appropriate Minister if he considers that to be unsatisfactory.
Would the Minister agree that in a modern context this distinction that we have at present in the legislation between city and county is no longer tenable and is completely illogical when you have a situation as in Tallaght, County Dublin, for example, now a major urban area with almost 100,000 people? If she agrees that it is entirely illogical will she take steps to have this incongruity removed and a uniform system made applicable?
I see anomalies in that position, as the Deputy points out, where perhaps the basis is historical.
That basis has gone long since.
It is obvious that the complexity of changes required has to do with many areas including reform of the local authority system which the Government have indicated they will be undertaking. I believe that is a matter of some urgency also. At the moment the School Attendance Act has to be enforced by the Garda Síochána. Perhaps before very long — certainly I will do my best to see if we can achieve some reform in this area — there will be logical changes.
As the Minister has decided to address herself to some of the issues in question, if she were to receive a submission from the Garda Síochána and from the school management — I believe she has received a submission from the school management — is that correct?
I am not aware at the moment of such a submission but probably I have received it.
If she were to receive a submission from the Garda Síochána as a follow-up to that, would she then consider setting up a committee to examine this issue?
I am sure the various Government Departments would undertake that.