Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 686: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on whether the classification of a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary should be changed to extremely disadvantaged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22138/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school to which the Deputy refers is included in the rural dimension of my Department's Giving Children an Even Break programme aimed at combating educational disadvantage. The school receives additional financial resources to provide educational supports to be targeted at disadvantaged pupils.

The new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS — delivering equality of opportunity in schools — which I launched recently provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme, SSP, which will bring together and build upon a number of existing interventions for schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The new action plan will be introduced on a phased basis, starting in the next school year, and will involve an additional annual investment of €40 million on full implementation. It will also involve the provision of some 300 additional posts across the education system.

A key element of this new action plan is the better identification of levels of disadvantage in our schools which will result in improved targeting of resources at those most in need. The first stage of the identification process which is being conducted on behalf of my Department by the Educational Research Centre is under way. Questionnaires issued to all mainstream primary schools, including the school to which the Deputy refers and were due to be returned to the ERC by 31 May 2005. The identification process is being supported by an advisory group which includes representation from the INTO and the Irish Primary Principals' Network.

Approximately 600 primary schools, comprising 300 urban-town and 300 rural and 150 post-primary schools, will be included in the school support programme. Existing schemes and programmes will be integrated into the school support programme on a phased basis over the implementation period.