Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1614: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the effect the loss of disadvantaged status will have on school development planning in view of the fact that the planning was based on the premise that such schools would retain this status; if the policies and procedures developed in consideration of the resource allocation entitlements under disadvantaged status will be rendered null and void; and if so, the way schools which have been informed that they will lose disadvantaged status can plan forward. [1870/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The DEIS initiative is designed to ensure that the most disadvantaged schools benefit from a comprehensive package of supports, while other schools continue to get support in line with the level of disadvantage among their pupils. I wish to assure the Deputy that schools which have not qualified for inclusion in DEIS and which are receiving additional resources under pre-existing schemes for addressing disadvantage will continue to receive support in line with their level of disadvantage.

For most schools local circumstances including enrolment levels, staffing, resources and pupil backgrounds can change quite significantly over time and consequently aspects of their school development plans will need to be continuously amended in light of these changes in circumstances. While the majority of school plans, including administrative policies and procedures as well as curricular plans, should not be in need of major re-drafting in schools whose disadvantaged status has changed, assistance is being provided by Facilitators from my Department's School Development Planning Support Service to these schools to identify, amend and implement such changes to plans as may be necessitated by any change in local circumstances.