Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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435. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of DEIS Band 1 schools, per countym that are expected to lose a teacher this academic year. [34780/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, is my Department’s main policy initiative aimed at tackling educational disadvantage in primary and post primary schools.

In the 2020/21 school year there are 887 schools participating in the DEIS programme serving over 185,000 students.

My Department will invest in the region of €125 million this year on the DEIS programme. This investment includes the provision of

- 419 Home School Community Liaison Coordinators serving 539 schools, catering for approximately 156,000 pupils.

- Additional posts for DEIS Band 1 primary schools to allow for a reduced pupil teacher ratio.

- Curriculum supports

- Priority access to continuing professional development

- School Excellence Fund - DEIS

- DEIS grants and enhanced book grants.

Details of the all the supports available to DEIS Schools can be found at:

Due to falling demographics in the current school year, 46 Urban Band 1 DEIS schools lost teaching posts while 24 of these schools gained posts due to increasing demographics. The surplus teachers were redeployed into vacancies in schools in time for the start of the 2020/21 school year. This redeployment took place before the Summer break in accordance with the teacher redeployment schemes and staffing schedules. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally, irrespective of location.

The attached table shows details by county as requested by the Deputy.