Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 12 Feb 1998

Vol. 487 No. 2

Written Answers. - School Attendance.

Paul McGrath

Ceist:

59 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a student (details supplied) in County Westmeath has not been attending school for approximately three years due to the non availability of a child care worker; his views on the child's democratic right to be educated by the State; if he will acknowledge the failure of the State to fulfil its obligations; the proposals, if any, he has to sanction the appointment of a child care worker for this student; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3548/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I understand from my Department that the child in question was out of school for the period between January 1996 and December 1997 as a result of difficulties regarding his behaviour in the school. I further understand that the child is currently attending the school in question for 12 hours per week, with the support of a childcare worker. It is felt by the professionals dealing with the child that he is only able to cope with this level of attendance for the present.

My Department's capacity to allocate additional child care assistant posts in any year is entirely dependent on resource availability and the level of competing demand across the special needs area. Where such posts do become available, they are allocated on the basis of priority of need. In recent years, available posts have generally been allocated to special classes which cater for children with a severe or profound mental handicap.

I am at present reviewing provision across the special needs area to ensure that all available resources, including child care support, are deployed as effectively as possible. I can assure the Deputy that the needs of the child in question will be considered in this context.

Paul Bradford

Ceist:

60 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on whether a budget of £1.2 million to deal with school attendance issues is adequate; and if he will develop an adequate service on a non-statutory basis pending the enactment of legislation. [3663/98]

Monica Barnes

Ceist:

61 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Education and Science the steps, if any, he has taken to ensure that there is adequate reporting of school attendance; and if this data will be made available to his Department for regular monitoring. [3607/98]

Seán Barrett

Ceist:

75 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Science the steps, if any, he has taken to ensure that there is adequate reporting of school attendance; and if this data will be made available to his Department for regular monitoring. [3606/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 60, 61 and 75 together.

The budget of £1.2 million referred to by Deputy Bruton is merely the cost in 1997 of the school attendance service in the areas covered by the school attendance committees. These committees operate in certain parts of Dublin, Dún Laoghaire, Cork and Waterford. The cost to the Garda Síochána of operating the school attendance service in the remainder of the country is not available as it is not possible to segregate this cost from the overall cost of the wider range of functions carried out by the Garda Síochána.

My Department has a range of measures in place to support children who might otherwise be in danger of dropping out of the school system. These include the disadvantaged areas scheme, the home-school-community liaison scheme, the Breaking the Cycle pilot project and the teaching counsellor scheme. It is my intention to review the effectiveness of each of these schemes and to introduce further developments or refinements as necessary.

In addition, an important new initiative which will be targeted specifically at children in the eight to 15 year age group who have dropped out of school or are in danger of dropping out of the system, is currently being put in place.

While the above measures will make a valuable contribution towards combating non-school attendance, legislation is required to address the fundamental inadequacies of our current school attendance services. My Department is currently engaged in the preparation of draft legislation to deal with the complex issues involved in non-school attendance. My objective is to bring heads of proposed legislation to Government in the autumn. I hope to be in a position to publish the draft legislation before the end of the year. A key objective of this legislation will be to put appropriate mechanisms in place to ensure that children's attendance is properly monitored and that corrective action can be taken at an early stage.