Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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163. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is considering funding and supports for urban (band 1) DEIS schools as suggested in the ESRI review of the programme; and if his Department is also giving consideration to the ESRI suggestion in the same report to encourage schools to move away from rigid forms of ability grouping. [23203/16]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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164. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department's review of the DEIS programme is considering the suggestion in the ESRI review of the programme that there is case for a degree of tapering of funding for schools rather than a sharp withdrawal below the specified cut-off, as currently occurs under the DEIS programme. [23204/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 163 and 164 together.

The review of DEIS which is currently underway is looking at all aspects of the Programme including the range and impact of different elements of the School Support Programme, and the scope for increased integration of services provided by other Departments and agencies, in order to improve the effectiveness of supports to schools in this area.

I am also exploring the scope for innovative measures which have been shown to work well in improving results for disadvantaged children and students. Some examples of such measures are:

- School leadership

- School networks and clusters

- Teaching methodologies

- Integration of schools and other State supports within communities

- Greater use of Home School Community Liaison services

As the deputy will be aware I have recently announced that it is my intention to publish an new Action Plan for educational Inclusion before the end of this year.