Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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424. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to consider reclassifying the DEIS status of a school (details supplied) from DEIS Band 2 to DEIS Band 1, given the increased educational and social need of the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65936/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Tackling education disadvantage 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 €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 Strategy and introduce the DEIS Plus scheme, which will commence in 2026.

The DEIS programme is targeted at schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage. Schools that were included in the 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.

The Minister is 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 in early 2026. 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.

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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425. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when schools can apply for reclassification of their DEIS status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65937/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Tackling education disadvantage and helping students reach their full potential is a key priority for the Minister for Education and Youth. The DEIS programme is a key policy initiative of Government to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. It is a goal of this Government to reduce educational disadvantage and promote equity across Irish schools, focusing particularly on vulnerable groups including children from lower socio-economic backgrounds, children living in homelessness, Travellers, and Roma and migrant communities.

The DEIS programme is targeted at schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage. The Minister is determined to close the performance gap between DEIS and non-DEIS schools and introduce more innovative solutions to tackle disadvantage. A new DEIS Strategy will be published before the end of the year. This 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 support to ensure that a school can receive the right support at the right time.

As was the case with the current DEIS programme, schools will not be required to apply for inclusion in the new DEIS programme and the process will be evidence informed based on current data. Overall allocation of resources will be considered within the context of the new DEIS Strategy and the availability of resources.