Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 233: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he accepts the justification for including a school (details supplied) in County Wexford in DEIS band two; if he will include this school in DEIS band two; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16900/09]

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 standarised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). DEIS brings together and builds upon a number of existing interventions in schools with concentrated levels of disadvantage.

The process of identifying schools for participation in DEIS was managed by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) on behalf of my Department and was supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the Inspectorate.

The identification process was in line with international best practice and had regard to and employed the existing and most appropriate data sources available. Primary schools serving rural communities including towns with populations below 1500 are included in the rural strand of DEIS. The school to which the Deputy refers is included in this strand.

The following supports are available to rural DEIS schools: additional capitation allocation based on level of disadvantage; access to the School Meals Programme; access to Home, School, Community Liaison services or access to Rural Co-ordinator; access to planning supports.

A review mechanism was put in place in 2006 to address the concerns of schools that were dissatisfied with their DEIS classification. 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. The review was concluded and the results were notified to schools who applied for the review in August, 2006. There was no application for review received from the school to which the Deputy refers.

A new streamlined model for allocating financial supports was devised in 2006 which took account of level of disadvantage and relevant financial supports already in place and replaced all other models of grants paid to schools under previous disadvantaged programmes. The grants paid per eligible pupil are based on schools' level of disadvantage relative to other schools as identified by the DEIS identification process. The same rate of grant is paid in respect of each eligible pupil in both DEIS Urban and DEIS Rural schools.

The next identification process is scheduled to be held at the end of the current DEIS programme which runs from 2006-2010. There will not be an opportunity before this for the school to be considered for reclassification from rural to urban.