Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 October 2006
158 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will review and increase the resources allocated to the National Education Welfare Board in order that it can satisfactorily carry out its statutory responsibilities as set out in the Education Welfare Act 2000. [34147/06]
Amharc ar fhreagra181 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science when she will resource the Education Welfare Board adequately to fulfil its statutory responsibilities as referred to in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on Educational Disadvantage Initiatives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34115/06]
Amharc ar fhreagra192 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of education welfare officers currently employed by the NEWB; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34197/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 158, 181 and 192 together.
The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) was established under The Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 as the single national body with responsibility for school attendance. The Act provides a comprehensive framework which promotes regular school attendance and tackles the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The general functions of the Board are to ensure that every child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education.
The budget allocated to the NEWB for 2006 is €8.15m, with the allocation to the Board having increased by more than 25% since 2004 to support it in delivering on its key objectives.
The Board is developing, on a continuing basis, a nationwide service that is accessible to schools, parents/guardians and others concerned with the welfare of young people. For this purpose, Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) have been deployed throughout the country to provide a welfare-focused service to support regular school attendance and discharge the Board's functions locally. The authorised staffing complement of the Board is 94 comprising 16 HQ and support staff, 5 regional managers, 12 Senior EWOs and 61 EWOs. Five regional teams are in place with bases in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford. In deploying its service staff, the NEWB has prioritised the provision of services to the most disadvantaged areas and the most at-risk groups. This deployment includes areas designated under the Government's RAPID programme where an intensive full level of service is provided. Since September 2005 every county in Ireland is served by an educational welfare service.
In addition to the NEWB personnel there are some 490 staff, within the education sector, deployed in education disadvantage programmes whose work involves an element of school attendance and significant scope exists for integrated working between these personnel and Educational Welfare Officers. My Department is anxious to ensure that the maximum benefit is derived from these substantial personnel resources. Consequently work is ongoing to develop appropriate protocols for all agencies and services to work together in collaboration and to ensure that optimum use is made of the resources deployed.
This government is determined to do all that is possible to ensure that every child gets all the opportunities and support they need to enable them to achieve their potential and participate fully in education.
I will be keeping the issue of the NEWB's staffing and financial resources under review in light of the rollout of services, the scope for integrated working and any proposals that the Board may put to me in relation to clearly identified priority needs.
