Lorraine Higgins (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise an issue regarding the funding policy pursued by the Department when it comes to the amalgamation of DEIS schools with non-DEIS schools. I recently visited a secondary school in my constituency in County Galway, which was originally a regular school but which amalgamated with a DEIS school. As soon as this new entity was established, and despite the fact that all these new students were assimilated into the school, the special status funding stream was withdrawn.

The pupils and staff find themselves in a situation where 59% of the school population are medical card holders and despite the presence of a large number of students from an ethnic minority - about 30 students - the school does not qualify for a Traveller liaison officer because 33 students from this background are required for this. The school does not have a school liaison officer, which also presents problems, given some issues in families and possible suspicion of teachers and people from the school. All this has an impact on the students and the quality of their learning if teachers and the school principal have to invest resources and time and money to assist in whatever way they can. The school is already looking at possibly having to withdraw the free books scheme in the school, which it did not qualify for under the departmental guidelines because it already had one in place prior to the Department putting forward funding. It may also have to revise its ability to give breakfast free to its students.

All this means that the already stretched funding streams will be further impacted. It will have a knock-on effect on the quality of services being provided to many students from disadvantaged backgrounds in this area. The cohort of students has not changed. If anything, it has become more challenging for teachers and students alike in the absence of specific funding to assist, which would have been available to the DEIS school. Discretion must be used now. If this is not done, children who would traditionally have done their junior certificate as a result of having all these supports in place in a DEIS school and who no longer have these supports under the new amalgamated structure will fall through the cracks. I am eager to avoid this if at all possible. I urge the Minister of State and the Department to review the policy of withdrawing funding for those DEIS schools that have amalgamated with non-DEIS schools, in the interests of fairness and equality of opportunity in education.