1296. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Education and Youth the options available to a child (details supplied) regarding a school place. [24301/26]

Tusla Education Support Service (TESS), which includes the statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS), is under the remit of my department and operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000. The primary role of the EWS is to ensure that every child either attends school regularly or otherwise receives a certain minimum education to ensure and secure every child’s entitlement to education.

Educational welfare officers (EWOs) are based throughout the country and work with children, young people and their families who are experiencing difficulty with school attendance; this is done through, home visits, educational welfare conferences and collaboratively working with different agencies. The main priority of the work is around the welfare of children and young people and to ensure that concerns around attendance are addressed before attendance becomes a crisis issue. EWOs also support parents and guardians who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school placement for their child.

All referrals received by the EWS are screened and assessed by a senior educational welfare officer. A referral for a child without a school place is prioritised by the EWS and an EWO is assigned immediately to support families who are in this situation. It will remain an open case until such time as a school place is offered and accepted.

The child in question is an open and allocated case with the EWS. An EWO has engaged with the parent to provide advice and support and to assist in sourcing a school place for the child concerned. The EWO has also provided information to the parent in relation to the Section 29 appeals process and details of my department's Home Tuition Scheme.