Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will be clear. As I said, the key issue here is concentrated levels of disadvantage. I fully accept that there will always be children at risk of educational disadvantage in any school. I appreciate that. The specific supports that come with DEIS status are provided where there are concentrated levels of disadvantage. I accept the point the Deputy has raised about one school in a community receiving such status while another does not but, unless the exact same students with the exact same backgrounds attend both schools, there will not be the same level of concentration. That is the point. I am not for one minute suggesting that there are not students at risk of educational disadvantage in both of the schools in the area the Deputy referred to but it is the level of concentration that determines whether a school receives DEIS status.

Following the national census in 2022, which was held on 3 April last, it is envisaged that an updated Haase-Pratschke, HP, deprivation index will be generated by Pobal. That will be available in the third quarter of 2023. The Department will engage with Pobal in respect of this process. The updated HP deprivation index will inform the variety of different layers of support we may be able to offer schools.

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