
Waterford TD Conor McGuinness has condemned the Government’s failure to staff any of Waterford’s three TUSLA Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) positions.
EWOs engage with schools and families to combat absenteeism and support children to access education.
The 2024 Elective labelled Waterford the ‘worst in class’ as the national absenteeism crisis deepens.
New figures published this week 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 with the TD.
“Waterford has been left with nothing. 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,” McGuinness said.
The Dungarvan politician stated educators are doing what they can but are not being supported by the Government.
“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.”
“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.”
For the latest Waterford News and Sport, tune into WLR News on the hour and download the WLR App for news on demand.








