Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

89. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress that has been made regarding a new model to identify concentrated levels of disadvantage in schools; if a consultation has taken place with relevant stakeholders; if so, if she will outline the components of this model; when additional schools will be considered for DEIS status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5279/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) is the main policy instrument of the Department of Education to tackle educational disadvantage.

Budget 2022 has provided for an allocation of €18million for 2022 and €32million for 2023 to extend the DEIS programme to further schools with the highest levels of disadvantage. This represents an increase of over 20% in funding for the DEIS programme and will enable an expansion in 2022 to additional schools.

This package follows an extensive body of work which has been under taken by the DEIS technical group in relation to the development of a model to identify the concentrated levels of disadvantage of schools. The refined model is an objective, statistics based process, based on school enrolment data and data available from Census 2016 under the HP Deprivation Index. It is important to note that there is no application process for inclusion in the DEIS programme and all schools will be considered for inclusion when it is applied.

During the process to refine the DEIS identification model, and as is general practice in the Department, my Department has consulted with education partners (school management and national parent representative bodies and unions) on the technical aspects of the refinement of the DEIS identification model.

In advance of the implementation of the refined DEIS identification model, there will be further engagement with relevant stakeholders. The purpose is to ensure that, as far as possible, the refined DEIS identification model can provide an objective and independent means of identifying schools serving high concentrations of pupils at risk of educational disadvantage and also to ensure there is a full understanding of the refined model and its potential application.