Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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41. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will improve supports for all pupils in disadvantaged schools. [21897/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware, DEIS - Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, is my Departments main policy instrument for tackling educational disadvantage. The recently published ESRI report on "Learning from the Evaluation of DEIS" which was commissioned by my Department, draws together the learning to date from the implementation of DEIS and identifies some of the challenges for future policy in this area. I see this Report as a starting point for a review of how the DEIS programme should be renewed.

To this end, I have commenced a consultation process with education partners to inform the development of appropriate future measures and supports to combat educational disadvantage. Given the broader social context in which educational disadvantage is situated, an inter-Departmental group will consider the roles of relevant Government Departments in delivering DEIS. A Technical Group will consider appropriate eligibility criteria for a revised identification process for schools over the course of the coming school year.

The outcome of this process will form part of an overall proposal for the delivery of future interventions to tackle educational disadvantage.