Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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169. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the data sources his Department utilised in order to establish the new schools under the DEIS plan 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9233/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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DEIS is my Department's main policy initiative to tackle educational disadvantage. The DEIS Plan 2017 sets out our vision for future intervention in the critical area of social inclusion in education policy

A key element of DEIS Plan 2017 Plan is the availability of a new identification process for the assessment of schools for inclusion in DEIS using centrally held CSO and DES data.

The key data sources are the DES Primary Online Database (POD) and Post-Primary Online (PPOD) Databases, and CSO data from the National Census of Population as represented in the Pobal HP Index for Small Areas which is a method of measuring the relative affluence or disadvantage of a particular geographical area. Variables used in the compilation of the HP Index include those related to demographic growth, social class composition and labour market situation. This data is combined with pupil data, anonymised and aggregated to small area, to provide information on the relative level of concentrated disadvantage present in the pupil cohort of individual schools. Further information on the development of the identification process is available in the DEIS Review report which can be found on my Department's website at

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Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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170. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider establishing an appeals mechanism for schools that are of the view they meet the criteria for DEIS support to have their applications reconsidered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9234/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the new DEIS Plan provides for a verification process and any school wishing to seek verification of the information used to assess the level of disadvantage of its pupil cohort may submit an application for same to social_inclusion@education.gov.ie.

A key element of DEIS Plan 2017 Plan is the availability of a new identification process for the assessment of schools for inclusion in DEIS using centrally held CSO and DES data.

The key data sources are the DES Primary Online Database (POD) and Post-Primary Online (PPOD) Databases, and CSO data from the National Census of Population as represented in the Pobal HP Index for Small Areas which is a method of measuring the relative affluence or disadvantage of a particular geographical area. Variables used in the compilation of the HP Index include those related to demographic growth, social class composition and labour market situation. This data is combined with pupil data, anonymised and aggregated to small area, to provide information on the relative level of concentrated disadvantage present in the pupil cohort of individual schools. Further information on the development of the identification process is available in the DEIS Review report which can be found on my Department's website at

In its initial application, the new identification model has identified that there are schools in disadvantaged areas, not previously included in DEIS, whose level of disadvantage is significantly higher than many schools already in the programme. Accordingly, we are moving as a first step to include these schools within the DEIS School Support Programme.

Schools included in the list published by the Department on 13th February are those whose level of concentrated disadvantage has been identified as being at the same level as the current DEIS category for schools serving the highest concentrations of disadvantage.

Schools which have not been included at this stage, are those which have not been identified as having the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage amongst their pupil cohort, under the new model which is fair and objective.

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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171. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of pupils covered by the DEIS programme over each of the past ten years; the number of schools per county that are included in the programme; the average funding per school and per student over each of the past ten years under the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9235/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that in the 2016/17 school year the DEIS programme is available in 825 schools. On 13th February it was announced that a further 79 schools will be added to the DEIS programme from the 2017/18 school year.

The list of DEIS schools for the 2016/17 school year is available on my Department’s website at the following link:

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A breakdown of the total number of schools participating in DEIS from 2006 to 2016 is available on my Department’s website at the following link:

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The total level of DEIS expenditure by my Department is in the region of €110.27m. There are additional supports available from the Departments of Children and Youth Affairs (in the region of €25m under the School Completion Programme) and Department of Social Protection (in the region of €42m for the element of the School Meals Programme provided to DEIS schools). So the overall State expenditure for the DEIS programme is in the region of €177m. A breakdown of total expenditure per year is available on my Department’s website at the following link:

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The number of pupils covered by the DEIS Programme over each of the past 10 years is being compiled in my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy in due course.