More than 9,293 referrals were made to Tusla regarding persistent absence from school in the last school year, while 7,717 had been received to the end of February for the 2025/2026 period, new figures reveal.
In a parliamentary reply to Deputy Carol Nolan from the Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegard Naughton, it was confirmed that 9,293 referrals were received by Tusla’s Education Support Service (TESS) during the 2024/2025 school year.
By the end of February 2026, 7,717 referrals had already been received for the 2025/2026 school year.
Deputy Nolan had asked the Minister to report the number of students referred to Tusla Education Welfare Services due to persistent absence linked to school reluctance in 2024 and to date in 2026; the success rate of re-engagement for these students; whether her Department is tracking the long-term educational and mental health outcomes for children affected by prolonged school avoidance.
The Minister said that “schools are required to submit a Student Absence Reports (SAR) to Tusla twice a year for those children absent from school for a cumulative total of 20 days or more. The data collected is used to provide statistical reports on school absence for those students aged between 6 and 16 years by the recorded reason for their absence, i.e. illness, urgent, holiday, suspension, other or unexplained.”
“TESS does not collect the reason for absence outside these parameters,” she said.
“The long-term outcomes of school absence” report was recently published by the ESRI in conjunction with TESS The long-term outcomes of school absence. The report shows a significant relationship between school absence and educational outcomes in Ireland,” she added.
My department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) has developed guidance to provide schools with information on how to support children and young people who display reluctant attendance and school avoidance behaviour. The guidance aims to provides best practice for schools in working with parents and supporting their child to attend and stay in school. Psychologists also deliver training to schools based on the guidance documents.”
Commenting, Deputy Nolan said the figures s”how that a substantial number of children and young people are struggling with school attendance or school avoidance behaviour”.;