Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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199. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the appeals mechanism which will be in place for schools that fail to secure DEIS status in the next admissions to the scheme. [37203/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, a process to review the DEIS Programme which began last year is nearing completion and it is my intention to publish a new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion in the coming weeks.

Included in the review process is the development of a new assessment framework using centrally held CSO and DES data for the identification of schools for inclusion in the new School Support Programme.  The relevant CSO data is based on information drawn from the National Census of Population and includes socio-economic variables that are known predictors of poorer educational outcomes.

The number of schools to be included in the programme will be determined by this proposed new assessment framework which will assess all schools in the country.  Schools will not be required to make an application for assessment as the methodology being developed involves the use of centrally held data already available to my Department.  Arrangements for appropriate follow-up with schools to deal with issues arising from the assessment process are under consideration as part of the development of the assessment framework.

Implementation of actions arising from the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion will begin in the 2017/18 school year, and will be a continuing theme in our wider Annual Action Plan for Education.

Further information on the DEIS Review process is available on my Department’s website at:

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