Sinn Féin TD for Waterford, Conor McGuinness, has condemned the Government’s failure to staff any of Waterford’s three TUSLA Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) positions, leaving the county uniquely unsupported amid a growing national school attendance crisis. EWOs engage with schools and families to combat absenteeism and support children to access education.
New figures published today reveal that 8.6% of primary school days were lost to pupil absences in the 2022/23 academic year .
A recent Dáil question from McGuinness uncovered that Waterford is the only county in the country without a single full-time EWO in post, exacerbating the challenges faced by local schools and families.
“Waterford has been left with nothing,” McGuinness said. “All three EWO posts
allocated to the county have been empty this whole academic year. Not one of them has been filled. That leaves Waterford as the worst-served county in the State. Every other county has at least one officer in place. We have none.”
He continued: “Teachers, principals, and family support workers are doing their best – but they are being left without the staff or resources to intervene.”
McGuinness accused the Minister of commentating from the sidelines instead of delivering solutions:
“The Minister has spoken at length about absenteeism. What he hasn’t done is fix the problem in Waterford. Comment is no substitute for action. These posts must be filled immediately, and the wider failures in education and child welfare services must be addressed.”
Sinn Féin has consistently called for a fully resourced plan to tackle school attendance and support young people, including greater access to mental health services, reduced waiting times for assessments, and investment in school and community-based support teams.
“Families in Waterford deserve better. Children deserve support, not silence. This Government is failing them – and the consequences are being felt in families and communities every day.”
Conor D. McGuinness TD 