Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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341. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the 257 schools which met the criteria for DEIS status but did not receive it as reported in a newspaper (details supplied); and the location of each. [54649/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The 79 schools included in DEIS with effect from September 2017 are those whose level of disadvantage has been identified as those schools serving the highest concentrations of disadvantage among their pupil cohort and met the criteria for inclusion under DEIS Plan 2017. 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 identification model.

It is important to note that this was a first step in a process and the fact that a school was not included in September 2017 does not preclude its inclusion at a later date, should the assessment indicate a level of disadvantage that warrants additional supports.

In the context of future planning for DEIS and the preparation of briefing for the estimates process for Budget 2018 analysis was conducted as to the cost of extending DEIS further by admitting schools with levels below the highest concentrations of disadvantage. It was in the context of this cost analysis, for a possible extension of the DEIS scheme at lower concentrations of disadvantage, that the figure of 257 schools arose. There has been no question of excluding schools. It is important to note that these 257 schools did not meet the criteria of those schools admitted in September 2017.

In relation to the location of the 257 schools, the levels of disadvantage in individual schools is not in the public domain and release of this information would give rise to speculation as to the levels of disadvantage in individual schools. Therefore it is not possible to provide this information to you.

It is important to note that for the first time, I have introduced an objective, statistics based model for deciding which schools merit inclusion in the DEIS Programme, so that all stakeholders can have confidence that we are targeting extra resources at those schools with the highest concentrated levels of disadvantage. A detailed document explaining the methodology used in the Identification process is available on the Department’s website at www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/DEIS-Identification-Process.pdf.

A further assessment of all schools taking account of updated school data and the HP Index, based on the 2016 National Census is currently underway. Schools are being advised to ensure that their POD/PPOD data is fully correct and up to date including Eircode which can now be recorded by schools on both POD and PPOD databases. It is intended to have the process completed by the end of Q1 2018.

This will allow new pupil data and the changes in the profile of small areas between 2011 and 2016 to be taken into account in measuring the profile of schools. Schools at the high threshold of disadvantage may be identified in this process. It is intended, subject to available resources, to bring any such additional schools into the scheme .