The Government is to recruit extra educational psychologists and welfare officers.
An additional 31 psychologists will be recruited to the National Educational Psychological Service in 2007, bringing the total number to 158, in a bid to combat absenteeism and early school leaving, and address behavioural problems and special needs.
Increased funding for the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) will allow the body to recruit 15 more staff. This will give the welfare board 109 staff to tackle school attendance and early school leaving.
Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin said that supporting children with special needs and tackling disadvantage were priorities for the Government.
"Poor attendance is a major factor in young people underperforming at school, and indeed dropping out early. Welfare officers visiting families are, along with all the extra supports given to schools in disadvantaged areas, a major resource in improving school attendance and completion", she said.
The new "Social Partnership Agreement Towards 2016" provides for the recruitment of more psychologists and NEWB staff in the next three years.
However, Ms Hanafin's announcement wasn't enough to satisy opposition parties, with Fine Gael describing it as a "bluff".
The party's spokesperson on education and science, Olwyn Enright, said the Minister was undertaking a "damage limitation" exercise.
""Minister Hanafin is still just playing 'catch-up' on this issue, and has not even begun to consider the demands that are coming down the track for Ireland's education system," she said.
"Department of Education figures show that the number of children in primary education will increase by at least 58,000, but where is the planning now to ensure that these children will have access to a proper, working service by the time they are in the system?"
Ms Enright said that there were still 51 percent of primary schools outside the NEPS system, some eight years after it was first established.
Education spokesperson Seán Crowe said that although the extra 31 staff was a welcome addition, the service was still under-resourced.
"While the increase in staff is welcome, it is simply not enough to ensure pupils receive speedy assessments and subsequent supports," he said.