Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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467. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount which will be allocated for rolling out DEIS Plus; the amount which will be allocated to each recipient school; and when funding will commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55134/25]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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501. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of the €48 million allocated in Budget 2026 to DEIS plus that is for new measures; the amount which is for existing levels of service; and if this funding is available immediately or from September 2026. [55314/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 467 and 501 together.

Tackling educational disadvantage and helping students reach their full potential is a key priority for the Minister for Education and Youth.

Currently, the DEIS programme supports almost 1,200 primary and post-primary schools reaching approximately 260,000 students, with an annual investment of over investment of over €180 million. Budget 2026 allocates an additional €16 million in 2026, rising to €48 million in 2027 to support the implementation of the new DEIS plan and the introduction of the DEIS plus scheme, which will be published before the end of 2025.

The DEIS plus scheme will provide additional supports to schools with the highest level of need, in line with Government’s commitment. It will provide targeted support to a small group of schools with the highest concentration of students experiencing intergenerational disadvantage.

The allocation of funding for the DEIS plus scheme will be determined as part of the new DEIS plan.