Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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253. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what funding that is available to DEIS schools to assist in meeting the costs for school trips to facilitate further learning, integration and social development. [18968/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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DEIS is the main policy initiative of my Department to tackle educational disadvantage at school level. Schools in the DEIS Programme are required to develop and implement three-year improvement plans as a condition of their participation in DEIS. Targets are set under key themes, such as attendance, retention, progression, literacy and numeracy, partnership, transition, well-being and examination attainment (post-primary).

My Department spends €180m annually in supporting schools in the DEIS programme, of which, over €20m is allocated to schools by way of a DEIS grant.

The DEIS grant should be utilised to attain the targets set in the school's three year improvement plan across the DEIS themes. It is a matter for the Board of Management of each school to allocate DEIS grant funding so that it targets those students deemed most in need. This may include allocating a proportion of the DEIS grant funding towards the cost of school trips.