Vol. 484 No. 2
19 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on the need to establish an integrated education and welfare service in urban areas of particular disadvantage complemented by an in-school unit as recommended in a recent study of a west Dublin suburb. [21721/97]
60 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science the steps, if any, he will take to extend the Dublin city school attendance areas to include those areas of Dublin, namely, Cherry Orchard and Ballymun, which came into the city in 1985 and which need an adequate service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21694/97]
67 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will increase resources to youth encounter projects in Dublin, Cork and Limerick which were established to deal with truancy in view of the reports of increasing school truancy; and whether he will establish further projects throughout the country. [21617/97]
69 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Education and Science whether he will extend the school attendance officer service to the new Dublin suburbs, particularly north Clondalkin, in view of the increasing number of children not attending school and in advance of the promised School Attendance Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21616/97]
74 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science when he intends to introduce legislation to address the issue of school attendance; the broad parameters that are to be contained within the proposed legislation; the timeframe involved in ensuring that an effective system of monitoring school attendance is actually put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21596/97]
94 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to research undertaken on behalf of the Clondalkin partnership which found chronic levels of absenteeism among children attending schools in parts of the Clondalkin area; the proposals, if any, he has to deal with this problem; the plans, if any, he has for the extension of schemes such as early start and breaking the cycle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21627/97]
98 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, he has to urgently address problems in implementation of school attendance programmes, particularly in disadvantaged urban areas. [16691/97]
99 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on the need to establish an integrated education and welfare service in urban areas of particular disadvantage complemented by an in-school unit as recommended in a recent study of a west Dublin suburb. [21720/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 60, 67, 69, 74, 94, 98 and 99 together.
I assure the Deputies that I share the concerns which they have highlighted in relation to the problem of non-school attendance. I am aware of the findings of the study in west Dublin to which a number of Deputies referred. These findings give sharp focus to the extent of the problem and the need for firm corrective action. My Department is currently working on draft legislation to deal with the complex issues involved in non-school attendance. My objective is to bring the heads of proposed legislation to Government before the end of April 1998. I also hope to be in a position to publish draft legislation by the middle of 1998.
I confirm that the range of issues raised by Deputies — including an integrated education and welfare service and the expansion and rationalisation of the school attendance areas — are under active consideration in the context of the preparation of the draft legislation.
I should mention that significant measures are already in place to address the issues of truancy and early school leaving. These include: pre-school services, including early start, remedial services; the home-school-community liaison service; the teaching counsellor scheme; youth encounter projects; the breaking the cycle project and the disadvantaged areas scheme. I am currently reviewing provision in all these areas to ensure that available resources are targeted to maximum effect.
Curricular reforms such as the junior certificate elementary programme, the leaving certificate vocational programme and the leaving certificate applied programme are also designed to encourage and improve retention rates.
