Ms Caitriona O'Brien:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to address it this afternoon. A key priority for the Minister for Education and Skills and his Department is for education to be a proven pathway to better opportunities for those in communities at risk of educational disadvantage and social exclusion. We have a wide range of policies and supports in place to tackle educational disadvantage across the education continuum from early years to primary through to post-primary and on to further and higher education.

As noted in our submission, the Department does not work in isolation on this issue. Many of the additional supports provided in and around schools come under the remit of other Departments and agencies with whom we work collaboratively and closely to ensure that those most in need are targeted. As the committee can see from the detailed submission provided by the Department, we take the issue seriously and are doing our utmost at all levels to encourage participation, retention and progression in education.

The recent review of the DEIS programme and the introduction of a new DEIS plan last year marked an important step in our ongoing attempts to prioritise the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities. In the extensive research and evaluations carried out to date by the Department's inspectorate, the Educational Research Centre and other bodies as well as with relevant stakeholders, an overall improvement has been seen in those schools supported by the DEIS programme. The wide-ranging supports provided under DEIS, from teaching to financial resources to access to specific interventions, such as home-school community liaison, the school completion programme and literacy and numeracy programmes, represent an investment by the Department of over €125 million annually. Although the results from the evaluations are encouraging in terms of educational outcomes, attendance, retention, progression and school planning, it is evident that a gap still remains between DEIS and non-DEIS schools. The goals and actions under DEIS Plan 2017 are aimed at narrowing this gap further and a monitoring and evaluation framework is being developed to allow us to better determine which interventions are having the greatest impact as well as providing an evidence base to inform future policy.

As a Department, we are also mindful that success cannot be measured solely by educational outcomes. Other aspects need to be taken into consideration, such as the attitude of the students, their aspirations and the school climate. DEIS Plan 2017 contains actions aimed at supporting well-being, stressing the importance of school climate and encouraging the involvement of the wider community in school life. There are also actions in the plan relating to the importance of transitions across each stage of the education continuum, with the ultimate aim that those who wish to transition to further and higher education should be able to do so.

Equity of access to further and higher education is a fundamental principle of Irish education policy. Both the further education strategy and the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2019 are working on breaking down the barriers for target groups to enrol in and complete their chosen areas of study. We collaborate closely with other Departments and agencies on these issues, and the supports offered include various financial grants and funds made available to those most in need and supports for higher education institutions to encourage participation by under-represented groups.

I look forward to this afternoon's discussion and hope that I can be of assistance.