Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

I fully agree and am eager to get this published as soon as possible and get these measures in place. The Deputy mentioned certain things and we are looking at all the things that have been asked of the Department. I am assured the asks are based on the understanding, knowledge and experience or our schools, principals, teachers and, particularly, the children who will benefit from this.

I point to the huge success so far of the DEIS programme. We have seen in recent years a reduced gap in the retention rates between DEIS and non-DEIS schools. It has halved, which is fantastic. For the number of young people in DEIS schools sitting the leaving certificate now, that gap has reduced significantly. Where we need to do much better is around the overall attainment rate in those schools. The DEIS plus programme should be able to help us understand what is at the crux of some of the issues young people face.

Complementing this - and it is very much part of the DEIS and DEIS plus schemes - is the focus on absenteeism. In DEIS schools - primary schools as well - there is a much higher rate of absenteeism. If children are not in school, no matter what we put there, we cannot support and target them. The work we do to encourage young people into school and to keep them there and support them will complement the work of DEIS and DEIS plus.

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