Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

The process of identifying schools for participation in DEIS in 2005 was managed by the Educational Research Centre, ERC, on behalf of the Department and supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the inspectorate. The ERC's overall approach was guided by the definition of educational disadvantage as set out in the Education Act 1998, which states: "the impediments to education arising from social or economic disadvantage which prevent students from deriving appropriate benefit from education in schools." The Deputy is asking me, in effect, to look again at the whole categorisation of DEIS. I am prepared to give that consideration.

See this speech in context