Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The variables listed are those for the primary school. The variables for second level schools are as follows: medical card data for junior certificate candidates; junior certificate retention rates by schools; junior certificate examination results aggregated by school level, based on the student's performance in the seven subjects in which he or she performed best; as well as leaving certificate retention rates by schools. These are the best indicators of the disadvantaged level in a school. There are fewer schools at second level that are looking for a review than at primary level. Some schools are managing to hold on to pupils and feel that they should not be penalised, but there are also schools that are not doing so and that are seriously disadvantaged. We must target these schools first. Schools will continue to receive a level of support in line with the level of socio-economic disadvantage that exists in the schools.

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