James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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447. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the assessment process for the next round of DEIS; the criteria for schools to qualify for DEIS status; the process by which principals of schools seeking DEIS status can be proactive in engaging with her Department to ensure every consideration is afforded to their situation and circumstances; when this will be delivered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47718/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Tackling education disadvantage and helping students reach their full potential is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth, and for the Government. Currently, the DEIS programme supports almost 1,200 primary and post-primary schools, reaching approximately 260,000 students, with an annual investment of over €180 million.

The DEIS programme is targeted at schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage. Schools that were included in the most recent expansion of the programme in 2022 were those with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage as identified through the refined DEIS identification model. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme, and the model was applied fairly and equally to all schools. A detailed paper on the refined DEIS identification model is available on gov.ie.

As Minister, I am determined to close the performance gap between DEIS and non-DEIS schools and introduce more innovative solutions to tackle disadvantage. A new DEIS Plan will be published this year, which will include a DEIS Plus scheme. The new DEIS Plan will focus on improving the opportunities and achievement levels of children at risk of educational disadvantage, developing more innovative approaches to tackling educational disadvantage, and working towards a more flexible system of supports to ensure that a school can receive the right support at the right time.

Future allocation of overall resources will be considered within the context of the new DEIS Plan and the availability of resources.