Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge and appreciate the Senator's remarks on CLASS. I come from a rural constituency. I am an enormous fan of the smaller rural schools, as I am of all schools, but I appreciate the widest experience of education, which is in the smaller and larger schools. We were very clear in the manner in which we laid out the supports for the schools that it would be weighted in terms of the size. Obviously, the resources required by a smaller school would be less than those required by a larger school. Notwithstanding that, those resources are being made available. In addition, other initiatives such as BLAST, which brings live arts into the schools, is available to all schools irrespective of size. That also fits in very nicely with the CLASS Covid learning supports programme. The enormous issue for us is that we are very keen there would be an emphasis on teaching and learning in this programme, from an academic point of view, but also the widest experience of socialisation, integration, resilience and team-building. That is why we are also looking at making sport, creativity, drama, poetry, or whatever it might be available in schools. Each school has the autonomy to identify it for itself.

The DEIS model, as Senator Dolan is aware, is being examined with a view to developing a new statistics-based model that will identify schools that are most in need. The detailed quality analysis has been completed by the DEIS technical group and the Department is now engaging with the education partners. The work needs to transact, but it is ongoing. Hot school meals come within the remit of the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys. I acknowledge the positive manner in which she engages with the Department of Education on that. I will continue to engage with her going forward.

In terms of the cross-departmental approach that we take on a number of different issues, I acknowledge the efforts of the Ministers of State, Deputies Butler and Feighan. I am happy to work in the widest possible way in order to that schools may benefit I am open to doing that.

I do not have information to hand on the specific projects to which the Senator referred. I will discuss the matter with Mr. Loftus and we will ensure that the Senator gets a written reply on the two issues she raised.