Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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211. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider putting in place home school community liason officers for schools that were not succesful in applications for DEIS but face considerable disadvantage. [26030/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Scheme is a school-based intervention provided to DEIS schools to address the needs of pupils/families in disadvantaged areas through acknowledging and developing the role of the parent as prime educator. This is achieved through targeting the families of pupils at risk of educational failure and putting in place a range of appropriate support interventions. HSCL Coordinator posts are full time posts allocated to DEIS (urban primary and post primary) schools. Some HSCL posts are allocated on a shared basis between DEIS schools (in cluster groups) and can be shared across primary and post primary schools.   

While operational responsibility for the HSCL scheme rests with the Educational Welfare Service (EWS) of Tusla, my Department is responsible for the allocation and funding of teachers performing the role of HSCL Coordinator in participating DEIS schools, and accordingly has an ongoing engagement with the EWS to ensure the efficacy of the scheme.  

I wish to advise the Deputy that those schools included in the DEIS list published by my Department on 13 February are those whose level of 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.

I will continue to review the DEIS programme to ensure that it is flexible and responsive to children in most need.