Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

43. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will maintain the legacy posts that are vital in those DEIS schools in disadvantaged areas in Dublin's north inner city. [16707/17]

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

Following the launch of the DEIS Plan 2017, I made it clear that schools currently participating in the DEIS programme would continue to receive the same level of supports under the School Support Programme for the 2017/18 school year. This includes no change to the current situation regarding posts allocated under previous educational disadvantage schemes in DEIS schools, including those in Dublin's north inner city. This is of course subject to the usual arrangements which apply in relation staffing allocations which are based on pupil enrolment.

A central aim of the Plan will be to use available resources to have maximum impact, particularly in communities where there are high concentrations of educational disadvantage. I wish to promote new approaches in pursuing this objective including initiatives in leadership, clusters and bridges to initiatives from the communities.

I shall also be evaluating the impact of all existing initiatives. This will include an evaluation of teaching resources for schools participating in DEIS to inform future policy in an Irish context.

Pending the outcome of such an evaluation, the current staffing schedule available to primary urban Band 1 schools to provide smaller classes will continue to be applied in addition to teaching posts already available to these schools under previous educational disadvantage schemes.

As with all additional resources provided to schools under the DEIS Programme, these resources should be deployed by schools to meet the objectives of DEIS as set out in the School Plan.