Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 174: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the basis on which the only second level school in Beara, County Cork (details supplied) is to lose its disadvantaged status under the DEIS programme; and if he will arrange to have this matter reconsidered in view of the circumstances and location of this school. [13662/09]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The post primary school to which the Deputy refers was among a number of schools that was judged by an independent identification process in 2005 not to have a sufficient level of disadvantage among their pupils to warrant their inclusion in DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion. The next identification process is scheduled to be held at the end of the current DEIS programme which runs from 2005 to 2010. There will not be an opportunity before this to be included in the current DEIS programme of supports.

A review mechanism was put in place in 2006 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 procedures were properly followed in the case of schools applying for a review. The review was concluded and the results were notified to schools in August 2006. The post primary school in question appealed its non inclusion in DEIS but their appeal was unsuccessful.

This school together with 72 other post primary schools retained resources, both teaching posts and financial, under pre-existing schemes and programmes for addressing educational disadvantage. When DEIS was introduced, a commitment was given as a concessionary measure to these schools that they would retain a level of support for the duration of the DEIS Initiative, i.e.2010. However, in light of the recent economic downturn, the Government has had to make a number of difficult and challenging decisions in Budget 2009. This means that it will now be necessary to withdraw resources from all non DEIS schools with effect from 31 August 2009. These resources will be retained for the remainder of this school year after which they will then be withdrawn.

The main focus of Social Inclusion Measures will be to retain resources in schools participating in DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunities in Schools) the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion, as there is a need to focus targeted resources on the schools serving the most disadvantaged communities. This approach is in line with the broad thrust of the recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General which are set out in his report on Primary Disadvantage of 2006, which recommended that my Department should focus its educational disadvantage measures on those schools serving the most disadvantaged communities.