January 19th 2007
National Educational Welfare Board welcomes announcement of extra staff

The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB), the agency with responsibility for ensuring that children attend school regularly or otherwise receive an education, welcomes the announcement by the Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin T.D. that 15 additional staff are to be recruited to the National Educational Welfare Board.

Commenting on the announcement, Eddie Ward, NEWB, CEO said: “This commitment to increase our resources is a positive recognition of the work of our Educational Welfare Officers who work with parents, children and schools around the country and to their impact on school attendance. It follows the commitment given under the social partnership agreement towards 2016.

“The extra 15 staff being appointed to the NEWB will bring our total staffing to 109.  This increase will facilitate us in meeting our obligations under the law by allowing us to respond to more children with attendance difficulties and in doing so, realistically reduce the human and economic cost of absenteeism to children, schools and society.

“It will also enable us to follow up on more children and to provide access to our service in additional locations around the country; develop preventative strategies that will support schools in their work, and help us to achieve the goals set out in our strategic plan 2005 – 2007 “every day counts”. 

“The State is investing a substantial amount of resources to address educational disadvantage through our schools. This announcement will result in an enhanced NEWB service which can integrate with, and build on, the work of schools and the other services which are engaged with children and young people”, he added.

Discussions are underway about the distribution of these staff and recruitment will commence shortly.

For further information contact:

Elaine O’Mahoney

01 8738603/087 130 8799