Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 739: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason a school (details supplied) in County Cork has not been granted disadvantaged status despite the fact that its feeder school has been granted such status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27370/08]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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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).

The process of identifying schools for participation in DEIS was managed by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) on behalf of the Department of Education and Science and was supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the Inspectorate. A review mechanism was put in place to address the concerns of schools that did not qualify for inclusion in DEIS but regarded themselves as having a level of disadvantage which was of a scale sufficient to warrant their inclusion in the programme. The review process operated under the direction of an independent person, charged with ensuring that all relevant identification processes and procedures were properly followed in the case of schools applying for a review.

As a result of the identification and review process, 873 schools were 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 school referred to by the Deputy was not identified for inclusion in DEIS nor did it make an application for a review.

The DEIS plan states that as well as provision being made for schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage, financial support will also continue to be provided for other primary schools, not identified for inclusion in DEIS, where the level of disadvantage is more dispersed.

I can assure the Deputy that the school referred to will continue to receive financial support in line with the level of disadvantage among its pupils for the duration of the DEIS action plan. The next identification process is scheduled to be held in 2009/2010.