Written Answers. - Education Welfare Service.
John Gormley
Ceist:
146
Mr. Gormley
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
his views on whether 70 education welfare staff is a sufficient number to meet the obligations falling on the State under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26622/03]
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:
149
Mr. Sargent
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
his timetable for the full implementation of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26621/03]
Brian O'Shea
Ceist:
158
Mr. O'Shea
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
if his attention has been drawn to the serious concern expressed by the chief executive officer of the National Educational Welfare Board regarding the continuing level of truancy; the additional resources which will be made available for the board in 2004 particularly in view of the view expressed by the board that it needs to increase its staff number from 148 to 221 with an eventual level of 330; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26502/03]
Ciarán Cuffe
Ceist:
161
Mr. Cuffe
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
his plans to give the National Educational Welfare Board the ?25 million it has requested for 2004 in view of the vital job it has in ensuring that all children attend school regularly or receive a minimum education.
[26623/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 146, 149, 158 and 161 together.
The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 was fully commenced on 5 July 2002. It established the National Educational Welfare Board, NEWB, on a statutory basis as the single national body with responsibility for school attendance. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving.
To discharge its responsibilities, the board is developing a nationwide service to provide welfare-focused services to children, families and schools. It has appointed a chief executive officer, directors of corporate services and educational welfare services, together with a further eight head office staff. Some 37 former school attendance officers who were employed under the previous legislation were transferred to the board in July 2002 in accordance with section 40 of the Act. To date, 27 have accepted in full the terms and conditions of the new grade of educational welfare officer. The remaining school attendance officers continue to carry out the duties which they performed under the previous legislation.
An additional cohort of 36 service delivery staff was also sanctioned for the board in May of this year. A total of 31 of the new staff have now been appointed and the remaining positions will be filled by the end of November. The additional cohort will bring the total number of staff in the board to 84 by the end of 2003. The new services are being phased in and my Department has allocated a budget of €5.4 million to the board for 2003 for this purpose. Five regional teams are being established in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford and staff are being deployed in areas of greatest disadvantage and in areas designated under the Government's RAPID programme. A service will also be provided in all cases where children have been permanently excluded from education.
As provided for under section 10 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, I have instructed officials of my Department to work with the board to ensure that any opportunities for integrated working between educational welfare officers and staff on other educational disadvantage programmes whose work involves a school attendance element are exploited to the maximum. I consider the implementation of protocols for such integrated working on attendance matters between the NEWB and, in particular, the home-school-community liaison scheme, the school completion programme and the visiting teacher service for Travellers to be very important. When in place, these will assist the NEWB in carrying out its remit and ensure that all available existing resources are utilised to the optimum.
The provision for the NEWB in 2004 will be made known tomorrow when the abridged Estimates volume is published. The provision has been determined in the light of developments to date, the overall resources available and the need to ensure a collaborative and co-operative approach by all involved in addressing issues of disadvantage.
