Written answers

Thursday, 14 July 2022

Department of Defence

Disadvantaged Status

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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497. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given at an early date to a further extension of the DEIS Programme in view of the availability of data from the 2022 Census; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39450/22]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In March I announced a major expansion of the DEIS programme which means that, for the first time since 2017, the programme is being significantly expanded and eligible schools will now gain access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage. 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. From 2023 my Department will spend in the region of €180 million on the DEIS programme, an increase of €32 million.

The extension of the DEIS programme to additional schools follows intensive work by the DEIS technical group, which involved valuable input from stakeholders. The refined DEIS identification model builds on the objectivity and fairness of the 2017 version, but now captures a greater breadth of disadvantage and accounts for severity of disadvantage through the application of a weighted process. It also takes into consideration the significant educational disadvantage experienced by Traveller and Roma learners and of students residing in direct provision or emergency homeless accommodation. The model uses information from the school’s individual enrolment database and 2016 national census data as represented by the Pobal HP Deprivation index which is a method of measuring the relative affluence or disadvantage of a particular geographical area. The details of the refined DEIS Identification Model are available on the gov.ie website.

The DEIS programme focuses on targeting additional resources at those schools with the highest concentrations of students who are at risk of educational disadvantage.

Schools that were not satisfied with the outcome following the application of the DEIS identification model to their school enrolment data were provided with the opportunity to have that outcome reviewed.

Circular 0019/2022 outlined the details of this appeals process and is available on the gov.ie website.

My Department will continue to support schools to deliver high quality, inclusive teaching and learning to students and young learners. It is important to note that the extension of the DEIS programme to new schools is just one phase of work in my Department’s vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. While the DEIS programme supports those schools with the highest levels of concentrated educational disadvantage, my Department recognises that there are students at risk of educational disadvantage in all schools. Conscious of this, and recognising the need to target resources to those schools who need them most, the next phase of work will explore the allocation of resources to schools to tackle educational disadvantage. Part of this programme of work will involve consultation with all relevant stakeholders and will consider information provided by schools in correspondence following the application of the refined DEIS identification model.

Following the National Census 2022 held on the 3rd April last it is envisaged that an updated HP Deprivation Index will be generated by Pobal and will be available in Q3 of 2023. My Department will engage with Pobal in relation to this process. The updated HP Deprivation Index when available can be considered by my Department to inform future resource allocation to tackle educational disadvantage.

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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498. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration is being given to changes to the modelling system for the assessment of schools for inclusion in the DEIS Programme given that there are anomalies resulting in the exclusion of some schools who share catchment areas with schools who are in the DEIS scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39451/22]

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

In March I announced a major expansion of the DEIS programme which means that, for the first time since 2017, the programme is being significantly expanded and eligible schools will now gain access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage. 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. From 2023 my Department will spend in the region of €180 million on the DEIS programme, an increase of €32 million.

The extension of the DEIS programme to additional schools follows intensive work by the DEIS technical group, which involved valuable input from stakeholders. The refined DEIS identification model builds on the objectivity and fairness of the 2017 version, but now captures a greater breadth of disadvantage and accounts for severity of disadvantage through the application of a weighted process. It also takes into consideration the significant educational disadvantage experienced by Traveller and Roma learners and of students residing in direct provision or emergency homeless accommodation. The model uses information from the school’s individual enrolment database and 2016 national census data as represented by the Pobal HP Deprivation index which is a method of measuring the relative affluence or disadvantage of a particular geographical area. The details of the refined DEIS Identification Model are available on the gov.ie website.

The DEIS programme focuses on targeting additional resources at those schools with the highest concentrations of students who are at risk of educational disadvantage.

Schools that were not satisfied with the outcome following the application of the DEIS identification model to their school enrolment data were provided with the opportunity to have that outcome reviewed.

Circular 0019/2022 outlined the details of this appeals process and is available on the gov.ie website.

My Department will continue to support schools to deliver high quality, inclusive teaching and learning to students and young learners. It is important to note that the extension of the DEIS programme to new schools is just one phase of work in my Department’s vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. While the DEIS programme supports those schools with the highest levels of concentrated educational disadvantage, my Department recognises that there are students at risk of educational disadvantage in all schools. Conscious of this, and recognising the need to target resources to those schools who need them most, the next phase of work will explore the allocation of resources to schools to tackle educational disadvantage. Part of this programme of work will involve consultation with all relevant stakeholders and will consider information provided by schools in correspondence following the application of the refined DEIS identification model.

Following the National Census 2022 held on the 3rd April last it is envisaged that an updated HP Deprivation Index will be generated by Pobal and will be available in Q3 of 2023. My Department will engage with Pobal in relation to this process. The updated HP Deprivation Index when available can be considered by my Department to inform future resource allocation to tackle educational disadvantage.

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