Mr. Jim Mulkerrins:

We will consider the issue in the context of implementation of the recommendations.

I acknowledge Deputy Carol Nolan's welcome for the allocation of 900 posts and her observation on the gaps in the system. To respond to her question to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the need for an additional 1,118 posts to reverse the 15% cut, the model is intended as a better way of distributing and deploying the resources available to us, be they increased or, in the event that we experience another economic crash, depleted again. This is simply about having a better, fairer and more equitable way of managing resources. There is concern which we acknowledge about the effects of the 15% cut applied across the system in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The provision of 900 posts is substantial. I am not suggesting it is intended to reverse the 15% cut, but it is greater than the provision that would have been made based on demographics alone. It has been acknowledged in our consultations that schools, at least, feel that they are well supported by the Department. There will be further discussions on the reversal of the 15% cut. We will deal with that issue when it arises.

On the need for the appeal process to be fair to schools and parents, we are anxious to have a robust and tight appeal process in place. Two issues arise in this regard. Schools may be concerned that they are receiving allocations based on a profile that is not an accurate reflection of a school enrolment. For this reason, we will have an appeal process to review the data provided to ensure the calculations made are correct. Where they are not, we will remedy the situation. We also recognise that there will be a number of schools which, even though they have been profiled correctly, may still struggle under the weight of difficulties they are experiencing. It is intended that the inclusion support service will be robust and have the capacity to provide support for these schools. It has been mentioned that there will be a requirement for schools to complete a number of stages of the continuum process before they receive additional support. The intention is that the inclusion support service will have the capacity to understand what the difficulty and build a response to it, whether by providing additional support or providing additional in-house training for those working with the children involved. It could involve either option, but until such time as the stages of the continuum process are completed, it will be difficult for the inclusion support service or those working with a school to understand what the difficulty is. It is not always about the provision of additional resources. Sometimes it is about utilisation of the resources available in a better way. Either way, the inclusion support service will have some capacity to act, including in the national behaviour support service which is well resourced and highly regarded in the post-primary sector and provides significant additional support for schools experiencing severe problems, notwithstanding the other resources put in place.

With regard to the standardised tests, we acknowledge that there is a concern being expressed. There are two answers to this. It is likely that schools in more disadvantaged areas are going to have a higher concentration of children who are underperforming in standardised tests. Those schools are also likely to have access to other supports such as enhanced pupil-teacher ratios in the event that they are in band 1 or access to school completion, home school liaison and all of the other supports provided under DEIS. In addition, they are more likely to have a larger pot of resource teaching under the current model and that will continue under the new model. Our intention is that such schools will not end up being ghettoising. Our intention is that through an open admissions structure, all schools will be encouraged to enrol children within their own communities and that there will be no bypassing of the nearest school. Of course, that is something we will have to keep a very close eye on over the roll-out of the model.