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

I take the point the Deputy makes. He will know that the process categorises different schools. There are 835 DEIS schools in total but it must be remembered that some of these are urban band 1 schools, which are particularly deprived. The insight relating to the DEIS scheme was to consider such schools, around which pockets of disadvantage could perpetuate themselves, and intervene in respect of them. The results have shown that DEIS schools are having an impact in improving standards in numeracy and literacy but they are not closing the gap with some of the other schools. Therefore, we are not just looking at extending the programme - although extending it to new schools is part of the plan, and the Deputy is right that some schools have not had the chance to apply - we are also trying to see whether we can do better within those schools and whether we can bring to bear initiatives that have been seen to work elsewhere. The pilot approach of seeking to get schools to clusters, perhaps with similar problems, is one I would like to see implemented. I can assure the Deputy that we will look in a scientific way at schools that did not get the chance to apply and include them in circumstances where need triggers that level of intervention.

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