Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2026
595. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the DEIS review; when the review will conclude; the way in which schools outside of DEIS can engage in the process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9848/26]
View answerTackling educational disadvantage and supporting students to realise their full potential in life is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth, and for the Government. The DEIS programme is a key Government policy aimed at addressing 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 investment of over €180 million. Budget 2026 allocates an additional €16.5 million in 2026, rising to €48 million in 2027, to introduce the DEIS Plus scheme and support the implementation of the new DEIS Strategy.
The OECD’s 2024 Review of Resourcing Schools to Address Educational Disadvantage in Ireland highlighted the role of the DEIS programme in providing an education system that consistently outperforms many other OECD countries but also exhibits relative socio-economic fairness, making it one of the stronger performers globally. However, the review also highlighted that important differences in outcomes persist for students who experience high levels of deprivation.
This review has provided an independent expert opinion on the current resource allocation model for the DEIS programme and, drawing on international examples, informs a policy approach for an equitable distribution of supplementary resources to support students at risk of educational disadvantage attending all schools, both DEIS and non-DEIS.
In addition, in 2024 and 2025, the Department also carried out consultation workshops, focus groups and other engagements with principals, deputy principals, teachers, the Home School Community Liaison officers, the School Completion Programme team (SCP), and education partners and stakeholders, including children and young people. This work has been extremely important in informing policy development in this area.
The new 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 has a focus on developing more innovative approaches to addressing educational disadvantage and working towards a more flexible system of support to ensure that all schools can receive the right support at the right time. This will involve a more dynamic resource allocation model where levels of resources more accurately follow the levels of need identified by objective data.
Any future expansion of the DEIS programme and overall allocation of resources will be determined within the context of the new DEIS Strategy, which will be published in the coming weeks.
