Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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487. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the options available to a school (details supplied) in order for reconsideration to be given to the school’s application to be allocated DEIS band 1 status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61139/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Tackling education disadvantage is a key priority for the Minister for Education and Youth. The DEIS programme supports almost 1,200 primary and post primary schools reaching approximately 260,000 students, with an annual investment of €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.

Schools were identified for inclusion in the DEIS programme based on their standardised disadvantage score. Schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage scores are included in the DEIS programme, with those urban primary schools having the very highest levels of disadvantage being assigned Urban Band 1.

I am committed to narrowing the performance gap between DEIS and non-DEIS schools and introducing innovative solutions to address disadvantage. A new DEIS Strategy will be published this year, which will include a DEIS plus scheme. The new DEIS Strategy 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.

Any future changes to the identification model and overall allocation of resources will be considered within the context of the new DEIS Strategy.