Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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124. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to include schools built in disadvantaged areas after the commencement of the DEIS programme in the programme; when such schools are likely to be considered for addition to this programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3261/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My key priority at present in relation to educational disadvantage is to continue to maintain and prioritise resources for schools with the most concentrated levels of disadvantage. The last Budget included an increase in spending on education for the first time in recent years, amounting to additional funding of €60m during 2015.

This funding will be used to provide 1,700 additional teachers and SNAs for our schools, as well as to fund prioritised reforms, such as implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategy, reform of junior cycle, and the introduction of education focussed pre-school inspections.

As the Deputy may be aware, the DEIS programme has been the subject of ongoing evaluation by both the Educational Research Centre and my Department's Inspectorate to assess its impact.

An overall report on the Learning from DEIS is also being prepared by the Economic and Social Research Institute which will draw together the main findings of research to date and provide advice to inform future policy to combat educational disadvantage, including DEIS. This report is currently being finalised and I expect to receive it in the coming weeks.