Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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239. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to review and change the criteria for the grant of DEIS status to schools. [29608/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, my Department is currently undertaking data analysis in the context of resource allocation to match identified need, including the examination of variables known to be strong predictors of educational disadvantage. All schools at both Primary and Post Primary are being assessed using the new identification model.

This analysis is being carried out by members of the DEIS Technical Group which contains representatives of the Department’s Statistics and Social Inclusion Units, the Inspectorate and the Educational Research Centre. Work is ongoing by this group, including consultation with relevant experts. I am confident that the culmination of this analysis will facilitate the ultimate aim of matching resources to identified need and will allow us to target extra resources at those schools most in need.

Until this analysis is complete, it is not intended to extend the DEIS programme to any further schools.

The DEIS advisory group (which includes school management bodies and unions) was briefed in May by officials from my Department on progress and it is intended to schedule a further meeting of the DEIS advisory group for October this year.