Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Several years ago, the former Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, along with all of the Deputies representing Galway West, had a meeting in a school that is really suffering as a result of its failure to be recognised as a DEIS school That is what spurred me on to keep asking questions, as other Deputies have done in the Dáil. The DEIS programme is a very good scheme but, as it stands, it excludes schools that we all think should be in it. Clearly there have to be objective criteria but in the case of the particular school to which I refer, the former Minister was aghast at what had happened in that context. I note the Minister's statement that extra resources were made available for non-DEIS schools. I appreciate that and I will go back to the school to check how it benefits but more than one school has been affected as a result of the very strict criteria being applied in the manner they are. I welcome that the review has taken place but when will it be completed? Can we have some specifics, please?

See this speech in context