Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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343. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the truancy rate for children with a disability at primary and post-primary level; the engagement by school attendance officers with schools and parents in such instances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30033/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 which emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention.

TESS operates a referral based system. Under Section 22 of the Education (Welfare), Act 2000 each school is obliged to have a statement of strategies to encourage regular attendance among all students. Where a school principal has a concern in relation to a pupil’s school attendance and where the school has made all local efforts to resolve the problem and the school still remains concerned about the student’s attendance a referral can be made to TESS. Currently TESS has 100 Educational Welfare Officers (EWO) in post.

TESS has advised my Department that it does not record the attendance rate for individual cohorts of students including children with a disability at primary or post primary level.