Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 223: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Mayo has been removed from the DEIS programme; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this decision will result in the cumulative loss to the school of disadvantage post, enhanced capitation, home school community officer, direct entry to access programme for third level entry, reduced contribution to building projects and food subsidy; her views on whether this is appropriate in view of the circumstances that apply in this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10967/07]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Mayo has been removed from the DEIS programme; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this decision will result in the cumulative loss to the school of disadvantage post, enhanced capitation, home school community officer, direct entry to access programme for third level entry, reduced contribution to building projects and food subsidy; her views on whether this is appropriate in view of the circumstances that apply in this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10968/07]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 225: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Mayo has been removed from the DEIS programme; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this decision will result in the cumulative loss to the school of disadvantage post, enhanced capitation, home school community officer, direct entry to access programme for third level entry, reduced contribution to building projects and food subsidy; her views on whether this is appropriate in view of the circumstances that apply in this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10969/07]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Mayo has been removed from the DEIS programme; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this decision will result in the cumulative loss to the school of disadvantage post, enhanced capitation, home school community officer, direct entry to access programme for third level entry, reduced contribution to building projects and food subsidy; her views on whether this is appropriate in view of the circumstances that apply in this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10970/07]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 227: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Mayo has been removed from the DEIS programme; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this decision will result in the cumulative loss to the school of disadvantage post, enhanced capitation, home school community officer, direct entry to access programme for third level entry, reduced contribution to building projects and food subsidy; her views on whether this is appropriate in view of the circumstances that apply in this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10971/07]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 228: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Mayo has been removed from the DEIS programme; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this decision will result in the cumulative loss to the school of disadvantage post, enhanced capitation, home school community officer, direct entry to access programme for third level entry, reduced contribution to building projects and food subsidy; her views on whether this is appropriate in view of the circumstances that apply in this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10972/07]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 229: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Mayo has been removed from the DEIS programme; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this decision will result in the cumulative loss to the school of disadvantage post, enhanced capitation, home school community officer, direct entry to access programme for third level entry, reduced contribution to building projects and food subsidy; her views on whether this is appropriate in view of the circumstances that apply in this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10973/07]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Mayo has been removed from the DEIS programme; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this decision will result in the cumulative loss to the school of disadvantage post, enhanced capitation, home school community officer, direct entry to access programme for third level entry, reduced contribution to building projects and food subsidy; her views on whether this is appropriate in view of the circumstances that apply in this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10974/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 to 230, inclusive, together.

Delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme. DEIS will bring together, and build upon, a number of existing interventions in schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. As a result of the identification and review process, 873 schools have been included under the DEIS action plan. These comprise 670 primary schools and 203 second-level schools. In relation to schools that did not qualify for the new programme, it is important to note that an independent review process was available to them.

The eight schools referred to by the Deputy applied for review but were unsuccessful. Additional schools were added to the programme as a result of making successful review applications. I am satisfied that all schools have been assessed on the basis of the best information available, have been ranked in terms of the right criteria and have been given a fair opportunity to appeal. Unsuccessful schools were advised at an early stage that they would be allowed to keep the supports they have under pre-existing schemes for the current school year.

My Department is now in the process of informing these schools that they will retain additional teaching resources for the duration of the DEIS action plan. The effectiveness of these posts will be reviewed in line with the ongoing review process being put in place for DEIS schools. It will be a condition of the retention of such posts that schools comply with any reasonable requirements of the review process.

Schools which currently participate in the home school community liaison scheme, will continue to avail of HSCL services for the duration of the DEIS initiative. Following a full review of HSCL clustering arrangements by the Department in 2007, the level of service to schools will be commensurate with both the size of the school as well as its relative level of disadvantage. Any changes made in the HSCL clustering arrangements in schools, which will take effect from 1 September 2008, will facilitate local HSCL co-ordinators working with families of disadvantaged children across both primary and second level.

Many schools at present retain additional capitation from previous schemes that have now been subsumed into DEIS. From the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year this capitation will be offset against increases in the rate of general capitation. This process will take four years and will ensure that no school will experience a reduction in annual capitation as a result of this measure. Changes may of course arise from other factors such as enrolments. Schools that were formerly classed as having disadvantaged status but were not included in the DEIS scheme will continue to benefit from the reduced rate of local contribution for building work on hand.

With regard to ACCESS programmes, the aim under DEIS is to strengthen progression and access to higher education for those from disadvantaged communities through co-operation 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. My Department and the national office will work together in this regard.

I am assured by my colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, that schools which participate in the school meals programme and which have not qualified for inclusion in DEIS will not be removed from the programme.