Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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521. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the objective evidential basis for the reason that certain schools (details supplied) were not elevated to DEIS band 1 status from DEIS band 2 in the context of the recent decisions she has made in this policy area; if she will provide all of the objective criteria including information on the metrics, precise data sets and scoring matrix her officials used to determine a school’s qualification for DEIS band 1 status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14590/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I announced on 9 March, 2022 the expansion of the DEIS programme benefitting 347 schools. These schools were identified as having the highest levels of educational disadvantage.  In the 2022/23 academic year there will be 1,194 schools in the DEIS Programme - 960 Primary and 234 Post Primary. This will also mean a €32million increase in my Department's expenditure on DEIS programme from 2023. This is the largest ever single investment in the programme and will extend DEIS status to schools serving the highest proportions of pupils at risk of educational disadvantage.

This announcement follows an extensive body of work by the DEIS technical group to develop the refined DEIS identification model to identify the concentrated levels of disadvantage of schools. Schools were identified for inclusion in the programme through the refined DEIS identification model which is an objective, statistics based model which uses information from the Department of Education enrolment databases and the Pobal HP Deprivation index. The DEIS identification model now takes into consideration the significant educational disadvantage experienced by Traveller and Roma learners and by students residing in direct provision or emergency homeless accommodation. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme and the model has been applied fairly and equally to all schools.

Schools that have not had their DEIS band reclassified at this time will have an opportunity to have that decision reviewed. My Department will provide further information in the coming days on this appeals process on my Department’s website.

My Department is aware of the needs of the schools referred to by the Deputy. My officials met last year with the school principals of the three primary schools. My Department recently confirmed to the schools its continued commitment to supporting them.