Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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524. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 1169 of 26 July 2022, if she recognises that her Department’s reliance on the Pobal HP deprivation index in determining DEIS status is too blunt an instrument and can result in significantly disadvantaged students not receiving the supports they need, with an example being the index readings in Killarney, County Kerry; if she will review the matter sooner than Q3 2023, as referred to in her previous reply, with a view to factoring in broader evidence than the Pobal HP deprivation index; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54327/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I have been able to significantly expand the number of schools in the DEIS programme this year, meaning over 1,200 schools have access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage. This will add an additional €32million to my Department’s expenditure on the DEIS programme from 2023, bringing the 2023 allocation to in the region of €180million.

Schools were identified for inclusion in the programme through the refined DEIS identification model, which is an objective, statistics-based model. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme and the model has been applied fairly and equally to all schools.

The DEIS identification process is based on the principle of concentrated disadvantage. It aims to identify those schools with the highest proportion of students from areas designated as disadvantaged. A detailed paper on the refined DEIS identification model is available on gov.ie at www.gov.ie/en/publication/a3c9e-extension-of-deis-to-further-schools/#how-schools-were-selected-for-inclusion-in-deis.

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. The DEIS appeals process was applied fairly across all appellants and the results are final. 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 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, I recognise 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 that 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.

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.