Robert Troy
Question:497. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a home school liaison officer will be reinstated to a school (details supplied). [72321/25]
View answerTuesday, 16 December 2025
Questions (497, 498)
Robert Troy
Question:498. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if home school liaison officers can only be appointed to urban based DEIS schools (details supplied). [72323/25]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 497 and 498 together.
Tackling educational 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.
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. Budget 2026 allocates an additional €16.5 million in 2026, rising to €48 million in 2027, to support the implementation of the new DEIS Strategy and introduce the DEIS Plus scheme.
The DEIS strategy will set out the Department of Education and Youth’s strategic vision, goals, and objectives to tackle educational disadvantage in all schools. The strategy will focus on improving disadvantage in all schools, developing more innovative approaches to tackle educational disadvantage and working towards a more flexible system of support to ensure that schools can receive the right support at the right time.
Any changes to the allocation of resources will be considered within the context of the new DEIS Strategy which will be published in early 2026.
Question No. 498 answered with Question No. 497.