Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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103. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details of the verification process with which DEIS schools can engage to ensure accuracy of the new education disadvantage identification process (details supplied); and if no verification process is in place, the reason for same. [21170/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The key data sources used in the DEIS identification process 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, dependency ratios, education levels, single parent rate, overcrowding, social class, occupation and unemployment rates. 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.

Full details of the process involved in the assessment of schools is available on my Department's website at .

In relation to schools who have concerns about their non-inclusion in the most recent round of DEIS, a verification process is currently ongoing in relation to all schools who contacted the Department requesting that their data be validated. This is aimed at ensuring that the model was run correctly and the data supplied by the schools through the POD/PPOD systems was correctly used. This process is expected to be concluded shortly and schools will be informed of the results.

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a communication is being prepared for issue to all schools. This will provide further information on the identification model, including details of how the datasets are used to determine a school's level of disadvantage; the importance of data quality to the process and the need for schools to provide detailed and up to date information to my Department's online pupil databases.