Vol. 497 No. 5
364 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the way in which he will tackle the escalating problem of non-attendance at school which is caused in many cases by students involvement in part-time work during the school week in addition to other social and domestic problems. [25691/98]
Under new school attendance legislation, which is currently being drafted, I will be bringing forward a comprehensive range of measures to address the problem to which the Deputy refers.
My proposals will replace the existing and totally outdated arrangements which have governed this area for many years and will bring arrangements into line with updated legislation on employment of young persons.
Among my key objectives is the establishment of a single national authority with responsibility for school attendance on a country-wide basis.
My Department already has a range of measures in place to address the problem of educational disadvantage which is often reflected in absenteeism and early school leaving. These include initiatives such as the early start pre-school programme; the remedial and home-school-community liaison services; the teacher counsellor service; and the Breaking the Cycle scheme.
