Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 150: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the standardised approach to identification of disadvantage planned under the DEIS action plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32783/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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A key element of DEIS, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, the new action plan for educational inclusion, is the putting in place of a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage in our primary and second level schools, which will result in improved targeting of resources at those most in need. The identification and analysis process is being managed by the Educational Research Centre on behalf of my Department. This process is being assisted by an advisory group, and will be supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through my Department's regional offices and the inspectorate.

As a result of the identification process, approximately 600 primary schools, comprising 300 urban-town schools and 300 rural schools, and 150 second level schools will be included in a new school support programme, SSP. The SSP will bring together and build upon a number of existing interventions for schools and school clusters-communities with a concentrated level of educational disadvantage. It is anticipated that the identification process will be completed by the end of the year.