Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact the programme for Government includes a particular focus on DEIS schools, with a commitment to deliver some proposals within 12 months, but my concern is that a year is a long time in the lifetime of a child. This time last year the Minister's predecessor was telling me much the same thing, that she had commissioned a review into the whole area of DEIS. It has been widely commented on that this programme was actually beginning to deliver success and that the range of disadvantage was diminishing. I have a quote here from a teacher who attended the INTO national conference this year, who talks about the cuts in this area:

The saddest part...is that the areas targeted were beginning to work: children from DEIS schools showed improvement in [testing], participation in third-level was increasing, and children from marginalised Traveller communities were beginning to see education as a realistic pathway [to a better future]. Then we [decided to divert] resources and the good work started to unravel.

There is a huge urgency in this. Many schools are losing out because they are not getting this status which they should get.

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