Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

171. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding a school in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6672/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy may be aware, DEIS Plan 2017 was launched yesterday.

The Plan builds on the experiences of existing DEIS schools and draws on international best practice.  It sets out key goals, targets and actions to improve the supports available to schools to help children and young people at greatest risk of educational disadvantage to reach their full potential.

A key element of the Plan is the availability of a new identification process for the assessment of schools in terms of the socio-economic demographic of their pupil cohorts.  All schools in the country across both the Primary and post Primary sectors are assessed in terms of the socio-economic background of their pupil cohort using centrally held CSO and DES data. This determines the level of concentrated disadvantage across the school system and identify those schools which require the greatest level of support.  There is no need for schools to apply for assessment as the data required is already available to the DES.

As an immediate action under the Plan over 100 additional schools identified with the highest levels of disadvantage will receive extra supports.  Details of these schools are available on my Department's website at.

The fact that a school has not been included in the programme on this occasion does not preclude its inclusion at a later date, should its level of disadvantage warrant the allocation of additional resources.

The new DEIS school support programme will be implemented from September 2017, with ongoing work with education partners and other stakeholders to ensure successful delivery of its objectives.