Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her response. I note that she welcomes the delivery of the report and all the positive aspects that DEIS status can bring to a school. It is therefore even more concerning when DEIS status is taken from a school.

I recently asked the Minister about the very difficult situation in Kildare where not one school received a new status. The Minister assured me that DEIS status would not be taken from any school there. In early March, one of the schools in my constituency, Kildare community school, was informed by letter from the Department that its DEIS status would be taken from it. I have tried to raise this under Topical Issues since then. There is an anomaly that the school completion programme is with Tusla and the two cross over, which is why I only have the opportunity to raise it with the Minister. I ask that this issue be raised when officials from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs meet with those of the Department of Education and Skills.

There are 880 students in Kildare community school. More than 250 of them are expected to avail of various DEIS supports available. Of the students, 60% come from DEIS primary schools. It is a great school but it is dependent on extra supports from the DEIS scheme.

The school and the community are making great efforts in that regard. The letter I received from the Department states that the school completion programme, as well as the home-school liaison scheme, will be taken from the school. That is not good enough, and I want the Minister to ask the Minister for Education and Skills to reverse that decision.

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