Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

Some of these questions have already been answered. I will answer them again. There will be no reduction in DEIS band 1 or DEIS band 2 allocations. It was proposed that those schools that had retained support services prior to the introduction of DEIS would have them removed. Not all DEIS schools have such services.

I will remind Members, particularly Deputy O'Brien, that 60% of socially disadvantaged children attend schools with no DEIS status. I have to achieve a balance between rural, mainstream, DEIS band 1, DEIS band 2 schools and those DEIS schools lucky enough to have retained additional resources.

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