Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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334. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she recognises that some schools require extra staff including teachers and SNAs, and more access to psychology, counselling and mental health supports (details supplied); if she will advocate for the establishment of a DEIS+ status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45679/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing these universal supports, the DEIS programme provides a targeted and equitable way to address concentrated educational disadvantage that promotes equity and has benefits for students.

In this regard the DEIS programme targets the highest levels of resources at those schools that have been identified for DEIS Urban Band 1 status. Schools in this band are those that have been identified as having the highest levels of concentrated educational disadvantage.

Schools in DEIS Urban band 1 receive a more beneficial staffing schedule allowing for the provision of smaller class sizes. They also receive priority access to the support of the National Educational Psychological Service, as well as access to the School Completion and School Meals programme. As with all urban schools, schools in this band receive home school community liaison support. Schools in Urban Band 1 receive a DEIS grant which reflects their high level of concentrated disadvantage.

A number of supports are currently being offered to schools to support wellbeing and mental health in line with my Department’s Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice. There are a number of programmes and initiatives available, such as training for all schools from the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) on embedding wellbeing at the core of school ethos and training from the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) for school staff on the Friends for Life and Incredible Years programmes, on using therapeutic informed approaches and responding to critical incidents.

While the Department of Health has responsibility for mental health services in Ireland, my Department has an important role to support the wellbeing and positive mental health of all our young people. My Department has built strong links with the Department of Health and both Departments are exploring ways to improve supports for young people, including around increased awareness, promoting help-seeking behaviour and sign-posting to the wide range of available services.

The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.

It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised. SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource. Schools may apply to the NCSE for additionality where they can demonstrate that the current allocation does not meet additional care needs within the mainstream classes in the school. Applications for additionality arising from significant new or emerging additional care needs, which cannot be catered within existing allocations, are dealt with by way of the exceptional review process. The exceptional review process for mainstream allocations is available to schools throughout the current school year.

It is important to note that the extension of the DEIS programme to new schools is just one phase of work in my vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. I recognise 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 to my Department.

In addition to this, 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.