Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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271. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a DEIS band school (details supplied) will have exclusive access to a full-time home school community liaison teacher; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18173/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The matter referred to by the Deputy relates to the assignment of a Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Coordinator where the assignment of the current Coordinator serving the school in question is due to expire at the end of the current school year. 

The reassignment of HSCL duties is part of the normal cycle of the HSCL scheme and the allocation of a full or a shared teacher to these duties is related to the number of targeted pupils in the school in terms of educational disadvantage.

While this matter is not related in any way to the renewal of the DEIS programme which I recently launched as DEIS Plan 2017, the Deputy may wish to note that there are a number of specific actions relating to the HSCL Scheme, and to future arrangements for the clustering of schools to receive such resources in the new DEIS Plan.  Work on implementing these actions will be taken forward by my Department together with other relevant Government Departments and agencies, and our education partners including schools.

In this particular case the deputy may wish to note that officials of my Department are currently engaging with the school in question to ensure that a HSCL Coordinator is in place for the coming school year to ensure the continuity of this important DEIS support.