Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

125. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 166 of 31 January 2018, the schools that were profiled for DEIS eligibility; the schools that were successful and unsuccessful following the most recent review of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6249/18]

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

Every school across the country, both Primary and Post Primary, were assessed to identify the level of disadvantage among their pupil cohort. As the Deputy may be aware, the identification of levels of disadvantage in schools is based on data provided by schools themselves, combined with publicly available Small Area of Population Census data, as represented by the Pobal HP Index. Schools identified with the highest concentrations of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds were selected for inclusion in the DEIS programme.

To be clear the schools included in DEIS, with effect from 1 September 2017, are those whose level of disadvantage has been identified as those schools serving the highest concentrations of disadvantage among their pupil cohort. The list of these schools is available on my Department's website at the following link;

The list of schools participating in DEIS in the current (2017/18) school year is available on my Department's website at the following link ;

(see -  DEIS School List 2017-2018 school year)

The review of DEIS, which was published at the beginning of last year, is the most recent review of the programme. The implementation of DEIS Plan 2017, which was developed from that review, is now under way and I have no plans to conduct any further reviews of the programme at this time.

An update of the identification model is currently under way. This will take account of the most recent pupil data as provided by schools for the current academic year.  This information combined with the Pobal HP Index of Deprivation, based on CSO Small Area Population Statistics derived from the 2016 National Census.  It is envisaged that this process will be completed by the end of Quarter 1 of this year.