Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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260. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to confer DEIS band 1 status on schools on the northside of Drogheda that are currently in DEIS band 2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9139/20]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, my Department is in the final stages of refinement of the new DEIS identification model, based on school enrolment data and the latest data available from Census 2016 under the HP Deprivation Index.

This work is at an advanced stage and a consultation process with education stakeholder representatives on the technical aspects of the refined DEIS ID model is currently in progress. It is envisaged that this model will then provide the basis for development of a DEIS resource allocation system to match resources to identified need.

I am confident that the culmination of this work 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 work is complete, it is not intended to extend the DEIS programme to any further schools.

Officials from my Department have engaged with the schools in the Drogheda area and have outlined to the principals of the schools the work ongoing in relation to DEIS.