Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 421: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a review of the DEIS programme has commenced; and if so when she expects such a review to be complete. [10481/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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DEIS provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). The process of identifying primary and second-level schools for participation in DEIS was managed by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) on behalf of the Department and was supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the Inspectorate. As a result of the identification and review process, 873 schools have been included in the SSP under the DEIS initiative. These comprised 670 primary schools (338 urban schools and 332 rural schools) and 203 second-level schools. The next identification process is scheduled to be held in 2009/2010.

In the interim, the Department has put in place separate arrangements for new schools (including those created through amalgamation), which opened in 2005/2006 or thereafter up to the time of the next identification process in 2009/2010. The Department will also consider, during the course of the current year, the situation of schools located in certain communities that have experienced significant socioeconomic decline since the commencement of DEIS.