Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Ensuring children from the most disadvantaged communities in Mayo and elsewhere get the support they need to succeed at school is a key priority for the Government. To this end, we have increased investment in tackling educational disadvantage significantly in recent years. In 2007, we are providing almost €730 million for targeted initiatives at all levels, an increase of almost €95 million on the comparable 2006 figure.

This investment supports the roll-out of additional supports under the DEIS action plan, through which 68 primary schools and eight post-primary schools in County Mayo will benefit from a comprehensive package of extra supports. Mayo schools are very well represented on the list of DEIS schools, making up almost 20% of all the rural schools in the programme.

In the case of schools that did not qualify for the new programme, it is important to note that an independent review process was available. Additional schools were added to the programme as a result of successful review applications. I am satisfied that all schools have been assessed on the basis of the best information available, have been ranked in terms of the right criteria and have been given a fair opportunity to appeal. Unsuccessful schools were advised at an early stage that they would be allowed to keep the supports that they have under pre-existing schemes for the current school year.

My Department is now in the process of informing these schools that they will retain additional teaching resources for the duration of the DEIS action plan. The effectiveness of these posts will be reviewed in line with the ongoing review process in place for DEIS schools. It will be a condition of the retention of such posts that schools comply with any reasonable requirements of the review process.

Schools which currently participate in the home-school-community liaison, HSCL, scheme will not be excluded from the scheme and will, from the commencement of the 2007-08 school year, continue to avail of HSCL services for the duration of the DEIS action plan. The level of service will be commensurate with both the size of the school and its relative level of disadvantage.

Many schools at present retain additional capitation from previous schemes which have now been subsumed into DEIS. From the beginning of the 2007-08 school year, this capitation will be offset against increases in the rate of general capitation. This process will take four years and will ensure that no school will experience a reduction in annual capitation as a result of this measure. Changes may, of course, arise from other factors such as enrolments.

I am satisfied that not only has the Government provided for a major increase in supports to our most disadvantaged schools through DEIS, but it has also addressed the concerns of schools that did not qualify for the new initiative.

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