Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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168. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the fact that some schools are now so underfunded that teachers are buying teaching materials and classroom equipment out of their own pockets; if she will take new applications for DEIS status from schools located in areas that have been devastated by the economic crash; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40586/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The key priority of my Department at present is to continue to prioritise and target resources at schools with the most concentrated levels of disadvantage. In the current economic climate this means that there is no scope for any additionality to the DEIS programme.

As the Deputy may be aware, DEIS is the subject of ongoing evaluation by both the Educational Research Centre (ERC) and my Department's Inspectorate who have produced a series of evaluation reports to date, (copies of which are available on my Department's website). I have also recently commissioned a further overall report in relation to DEIS to provide recommendations for a renewal of Government policy in relation to educational disadvantage, including DEIS. Work on this report which will inform future policy in this area is currently underway.