Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

When I raised this matter before, the Minister said there would be no OECD review of the DEIS programme until the second quarter of this year. This is why I have been relatively patient in trying to find out if the Minister will listen to what the principals have said. The Minister has said she has met them. The need in these schools is absolutely profound. Making one child out of every four a DEIS pupil does not really deal with the profound levels of acute disadvantage that are in our most deprived schools. The principals have said the impact of Covid has compounded things profoundly.

The rates of self-harm and suicidal ideation that resulted from the Covid pandemic were highly problematic. We are talking about intergenerational trauma. Principals are advocating for specialised trauma support. The schools in question represent the life chance for these children. It is the best chance they have. DEIS works; it is a success. The Minister has acknowledged that, and I know she believes it. The INTO has estimated that about 100 schools would greatly benefit from further additional support.

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