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

I thank Deputy Byrne for raising this issue. The new identification model is designed to be transparent. Basically, it takes into account the children enrolled in the school and the places where they live and then the HP deprivation index is applied. As the Deputy knows, the variables involved in that index are demographic growth, dependency ratios, education levels, single parent rate, overcrowding, social class, occupation and unemployment rates. This data is applied uniformly to all schools in a fair and objective way to identify the relative level of concentrated disadvantage present in each school.

Full details of the process involved in the assessment of schools are available on my Department's website.  It is also my intention to communicate with all schools to provide information on the identification model.  Information provided will include details of how the datasets are used to determine a school's level of disadvantage; the importance of data quality to the process and the need for detailed and up-to-date information from schools.  

There is no discrepancy in the schools listed for inclusion in DEIS. The only alteration to the lists published involved a change in rural-urban categorisation of four primary schools arising from an improved method of measurement. It is important to note that the urban-rural categorisation of schools relates to geographical location only and has no bearing on the levels of disadvantage identified within those schools.  In the case of the schools in question, there was no impact on the overall resources allocated. 

As the Deputy will be aware, the DEIS programme has been in place since 2005. The publication in February last of the DEIS plan was the outcome of a comprehensive review process undertaken over an 18-month period and represents an updated action plan for future delivery in this critical policy area.

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