Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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170. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the educational disadvantage committee which was set up under the Education Act 1998 will be reinstated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4042/20]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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The Educational Disadvantage Committee (EDC) was established under Section 32 of the Education Act, 1998, to advise the Minister for Education and Skills on policies and strategies to be adopted to identify and correct educational disadvantage. The Committee's final report 'Moving Beyond Educational Disadvantage' was published in December 2005.

The Government decided, as part of the decision on rationalisation of agencies in the 2009 budget, that a formal statutory Committee was no longer required in order to advise on the issue of educational disadvantage. This decision required an amendment to legislation which was provided for under Section 7 of the Education (Amendment) Act 2012.

There is a DEIS Advisory Group is made up of representatives from the education partners, relevant Government Departments, the Educational Research Centre, Tusla and DES Officials.

Its main role currently is to progress and provide advice on the implementation of the 108 actions in DEIS Plan 2017.