Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The criteria were devised by the Educational Research Centre and can stand up in any circumstances when examining factors in disadvantage, such as large families, unemployment, local authority accommodation, lone parenthood, Travellers, pupils eligible for free books and so on. These characteristics would define levels of disadvantage. Equally, at second level, hard statistical information was available for those on medical cards, retention rates and so on. It is possible that one school in the area did not qualify because no one would say that every child in Achill is disadvantaged and this has to do with the level of disadvantage in a particular school. It could happen that one school had a greater level of disadvantage than the other.

The Deputy made points I would like to correct. He said the school would lose a teacher but, as I indicated in my answer, that is not the case, the schools have already been informed that the teachers they have will be retained throughout the DEIS action plan. The Deputy also said the schools would lose money but no school will experience a reduction in annual capitation as a result of this measure. These issues were of concern to schools that were not included in DEIS so they have all been informed, as I outlined in my answer, about funding, teachers and the home-school-community liaison scheme.

Another element attached to this, although it falls outside the remit of the Department of Education and Science, is the school meals scheme and that will also be continued. We will ensure schools are not disadvantaged by being in the scheme and that the most disadvantaged will continue to gain the most.

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