Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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On the question about an independent review of the DEIS system, we are carrying out an analysis at the minute and are looking at the historical background to DEIS. When DEIS came in, there was a fear around schools being stigmatised but that fear eroded very quickly as schools saw there was going to be extra resources and extra help. The underlying determination of DEIS status was primarily geographical. We have looked at this and are continuing to look at the evaluation of DEIS. In present-day society, it is not fit for purpose. There are other schools outside the DEIS categorisation that should be in DEIS. We are doing the background analysis and are looking at a more targeted system. There may be affluent geographical areas in which there are still challenges. There could be geographical areas that have DEIS and have really benefited from it and that progression has continued. My utterances on this, both privately and publicly, are to state that we should hold on to what we have in terms of the ring-fenced funding of €120 million, of which about €80 million comes from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection for school meals programmes. We will hold on to what we have and ultimately we will be looking at political decisions on funding to add to that €120 million. That is the space I am in politically but it has to be targeted. Senator Ruane was talking about inclusion and bridging the gap between members of the Traveller community and mainstreaming in the classroom. We want to get to a place where we have meaningful inclusion. We have gone from segregation and exclusion. We are in that space of inclusion but we have to get meaningful inclusion, which means participation.

We have weaknesses in achieving that inclusion for Travellers in the school system, as in society in general. We will continue to work collaboratively with other Departments. We are working with the Departments of Justice and Equality and Children and Youth Affairs in respect of implementing guidelines on reduced timetables.