Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 349: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the estimated additional costs in 2006, 2007, and 2008 of her proposed plans on education disadvantage arising from the implementation of the DEIS report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7338/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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DEIS, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, the new action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme, SSP. The SSP will bring together a number of existing interventions in schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage and build upon them.

Approximately 600 primary schools and 150 second-level schools will be included in it. The new action plan will be introduced on a phased basis, starting during the current school year. It will involve an additional annual investment of €40 million on full implementation. The identification process for the new SSP is nearing completion and my Department will be issuing an invitation to the schools selected for participation in the programme shortly.

The DEIS plan is a five year programme, the total expenditure under which will amount to €40 million upon full implementation. The anticipated additional investment involved in 2006 will be some €15 million approximately.