Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 682: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the additional supports in terms of funding or additional teachers or teachers' aides that schools (details supplied) in Dublin 12 receive in recognition of the school being located in a drugs task force area, serving at least two RAPID areas and being recognised as an area of disadvantage. [22962/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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It is understood that the question refers to 2 Primary schools and 1 Post Primary school.

In the region of €800 million will be spent by my Department this year on tackling educational disadvantage at all levels — from pre-school to further and higher education. This represents an increase of nearly €70 million on the comparable 2007 figure and is testament to the Government's determination to prioritise social inclusion and ensure that all our children and young people get the supports they need to do well at school. Social inclusion measures across all Government departments have also been prioritised under the Towards 2016 agreement, the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-16 and the National Development Plan.

DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and an integrated School Support Programme (SSP). As a result of the identification and review processes, 873 schools have been included in the new School Support Programme (SSP) under DEIS. These comprise 670 primary schools (urban and rural) and 203 second-level schools.

The 3 schools referred to by the Deputy have been identified for inclusion in the programme which is being rolled out on a phased basis over the period to 2010.

Measures to be in place in participating schools on full implementation of DEIS range from: Early Childhood Education Provision; Reduced class sizes in primary schools of 20:1 in junior classes and 24:1 in senior classes; Allocation of administrative principals in primary schools on lower enrolment and staffing figures than apply in primary schools generally; Additional non-pay/capitation allocation based on level of disadvantage; Additional funding under School Books Grant Scheme; Access to Schools Meals Programme; Access to Home Schools Community Liaison services; Access to range of supports based on best practice of School Completion Programme; Access to literacy/numeracy support service to specific literacy/numeracy measures; Access to transfer programmes; Access to planning supports; Access to a range of professional development supports; Eligibility for teachers/principals to apply for sabbatical leave scheme; Enhanced guidance counselling provision for post primary schools with the highest concentration of disadvantage; Provision for school library and librarian supports for post primary schools with the highest concentration of disadvantage and Access to Junior Certificate School Programme and Leaving Certificate Applied.

In the current school year, grants totalling almost €19 million were paid to schools to meet the needs of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds under DEIS.

These additional financial supports allocated to each of the schools selected under DEIS provides for the inclusion of after school and holiday time support — for literacy and numeracy development as well as homework support, social and personal development and arts activities.

In addition the 3 schools referred to by the Deputy were also eligible to apply for various once off dormant account funding schemes. Recently all 3 schools were approved for funding under the Dormant Accounts Small Scale ICT Scheme and the Dormant Accounts RAPID Leverage Small Scale Capital Scheme.

Furthermore they are also eligible to apply for funding under various RAPID schemes which come under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.