Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

More broadly, I wish to highlight that the child poverty unit established by my former colleague and our former Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, is still there in the Department of the Taoiseach. We continue to work together to look at ways in which we can support the most vulnerable. The DEIS programme is key to that. It is not just the new DEIS plan but also the DEIS plus scheme we have committed to in our programme for Government. Work is well under way in that regard. It is about ensuring we do everything possible to support those most acutely at risk, such as those suffering from intergenerational trauma and children who are not at school.

As well as building on DEIS plan that is being worked through the DEIS plus programme, I have announced a number of measures to deal with absenteeism. If our children are not in school, we cannot give them the support and every opportunity they need. It is really important we build on the positive work that is being done. Overall, it is about getting the supports to the children who need them. We will continue to have designated schools, but we will also continue to have children in schools that are not part of a DEIS programme. We need to ensure those children receive the resources as well. I am absolutely committed to working with everyone to make sure that happens.

See this speech in context