Written answers

Tuesday, 5 December 2006

Department of Education and Science

Disadvantaged Status

11:00 pm

Photo of Seán ArdaghSeán Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 458: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will re-examine and re-instate the disadvantaged status of a school (details supplied). [41126/06]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Schools which have not qualified for inclusion in DEIS, and which are receiving additional resources under pre-existing schemes for addressing disadvantage, can be assured that they will continue to get support in line with their level of disadvantage. I can also assure the Deputy that the school to which he refers will benefit from the lower local contribution rate for capital works.

With regard to ACCESS programmes, the aim under DEIS is to strengthen progression and access to higher education for those from disadvantaged communities through cooperation between third-level institutions and schools serving the communities concerned. The National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education has published an action plan for the period 2005-2007 (Achieving Equity of Access to Higher Education in Ireland). The areas for action identified by the plan include the development of a national framework of equity of access policies, initiatives to widen access by under-represented learners and the provision of supports for higher education institutions in pursuing a practical agenda for achieving equity of access as a core part of institutional strategy. The work carried out in these areas will complement the new approach being adopted under the DEIS initiative and my Department and the National Office will work together in this regard.

Under DEIS, I recently announced the provision of 80 new posts to add to the 370 posts already in place in order to extend Home School Community Liaison services to any of the DEIS schools that do not currently have the service.

In addition, all schools, including the school to which the Deputy refers, which currently have HSCL service but are not included in DEIS, will continue to receive HSCL services after 2006/2007. HSCL services will continue to be provided to some 650 schools (282 second level and 370 primary schools).

However, following a full review of HSCL clustering arrangements by the Department in the coming year, levels of service may be varied in some schools to reflect their levels of disadvantage and size and to facilitate local HSCL co-ordinators working with families of disadvantaged children across both primary and second level.

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