Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 281: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will reclassify a school (details supplied) in County Cork as fully disadvantaged comparable to schools which adjoin its catchment area and cater for populations with identical needs. [14662/05]

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 282: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will reclassify a school (details supplied) in County Cork as fully disadvantaged comparable to schools which adjoin its catchments area and cater for populations with identical needs. [14663/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 281 and 282 together.

Both schools in question are included in the disadvantaged areas scheme and the Giving Children an Even Break programme. Under the disadvantaged areas scheme both schools benefit from additional capitation grants of €38.09 per capita, a refund of the television licence fee and eligibility for 95% building grants for building projects. Designated disadvantaged schools are included in the home-school community liaison scheme and each school has the services of a home-school community liaison co-ordinator on a shared basis.

Giving Children an Even Break subsumes the previous process of designation of schools that serve areas of educational disadvantage and my Department's approach is now refined to ensure that individual at risk pupils are targeted. Rather than the old method of designating additional schools under this scheme, my Department provides support that is commensurate with the levels of concentration in schools of pupils with characteristics that are associated with educational disadvantage and early school leaving.

Both schools in question are included in the urban dimension of Giving Children an Even Break. The schools are benefiting from supplementary funding to provide additional educational supports for the children concerned. The schools were not considered eligible for additional teaching staff, based on the level of concentration of at risk pupils within the schools.