Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 236: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason she has invited a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11 which has had disadvantaged status since 1994 to participate in the DEIS scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12660/06]

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. This standardised system replaces all of the existing arrangements for targeting schools for participation in initiatives to address disadvantage. The process of identifying primary and second-level schools for participation in the new school support programme has been completed.

As a result of the identification process, 840 schools, serving communities with high concentrations of disadvantage, have been invited to participate in the new programme. These comprise 640 primary schools, composed of 320 urban or town schools and 320 rural schools, and 200 second-level schools. Letters of invitation were issued to all 840 schools in late February with a request to complete and return an acceptance form by 10 March 2006.

The process of identifying primary and second-level schools for participation in the new school support was managed by the Educational Research Centre, ERC, on behalf of my Department and supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the inspectorate. In the primary sector, the identification process was based on a survey carried out by the ERC in May 2005, from which a response rate of more than 97% was achieved.

The analysis of the survey returns from primary schools by the ERC identified the socioeconomic variables that collectively best predict achievement, and these variables were then used to identify schools for participation in the school support programme. The variables involved were percentage of unemployment, local authority accommodation, lone parenthood, Travellers, large families of five or more children and pupils eligible for free books. The school to which the Deputy refers is not among the 640 primary schools selected for participation in the school support programme. However, this school is among the schools receiving additional resources under pre-existing schemes and programmes for addressing concentrated disadvantage and will retain these supports for 2006-2007. The efficacy of these supports will be kept under review.

As well as the provision being made under the new school support programme for schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage, financial support will be provided for other primary schools where the level of disadvantage is more dispersed. This support will be based on the results of the new identification process and the arrangements which will apply in this regard will be notified to schools early in the autumn. A review mechanism has been put in place to address the concerns of schools that did not qualify for inclusion in the school support programme but regard themselves as having a level of disadvantage which is of a scale sufficient to warrant their inclusion in the programme. This mechanism will operate under the direction of an independent person, charged with ensuring that all relevant identification processes and procedures were properly followed in the case of schools applying for a review. The school to which the Deputy refers has requested a review and a review form was issued to the school on 7 March 2006. The closing date for receipt of review applications is 31 March 2006.