Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the question and I appreciate his interest. I am always willing to acknowledge any good idea, regardless of their parentage.

The ESRI report referred to by the Deputy is an ESRI report entitled "Learning from the Evaluation of DEIS". It was commissioned by the Department. The ESRI report provides an overview of the information on the impact of DEIS supports for schools including evaluations undertaken by the Educational Research Centre and my Department's inspectorate as well as other international research.

The report considers a number of important aspects relating to current practice in DEIS schools, including ability grouping of students, guidance counselling and the potential to taper supports to schools. The key challenges and policy implications identified by the ESRI report for future policy are being examined in the context of identifying measures under a new school support programme.

This report, together with wide-ranging consultation conducted with key stakeholders, academics and practitioners, will inform the final measures to be adopted in a new plan for educational inclusion which I hope to publish before the end of the year.

While the Deputy is right that no new schools have been included in the programme since 2009, the process to review the existing DEIS programme is now nearing completion.

A new assessment framework is being developed using centrally held CSO and Department of Education data for the identification of new schools for inclusion. The inclusion of new schools under the school support programme will be considered in this context, and it will not be necessary for schools to make an application.

As I have already announced, it is my intention to publish the plan before the end of the year.

The review looks at all aspects of DEIS, including the range and impact of elements of the school support programme, particularly the scope for increased integration of services provided by other Departments and agencies in order to improve effectiveness.

Among the measures to be included in the plan are a series of pilot schemes that aim to introduce measures which have been shown to work well to improve results for disadvantaged children and students. The plan is expected to include targeted measures in the areas of: school leadership; school networks and clusters; teaching methodologies; integration of schools and other State supports within communities; and greater use of home-school community liaison services.

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