Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
560. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools expected to qualify for DEIS+ status; what the extra spend for a school of comparable size will be compared to a DEIS urban band 1 school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30099/26]
View answerAddressing educational disadvantage and ensuring that every child and young person can reach their full potential is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth and for the Government. The new DEIS Plus scheme, which will commence this year, launched as part of the DEIS Strategy to 2035, represents the most significant expansion of targeted supports since the establishment of DEIS. DEIS Plus is designed to provide enhanced, evidence-based supports to a cohort of 121 schools with the highest concentrations of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage, identified through a refined data-based model that draws on a range of indicators associated with persistent and intergenerational disadvantage.
This approach ensures that additional resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact, and forms a core element of the wider €48 million full-year investment across both the DEIS Strategy and the DEIS Plus scheme. Approximately 30,000 children and young people attending DEIS Plus schools will benefit from these targeted supports. Under DEIS Plus and the wider DEIS programme, resources are allocated to schools based on enrolment and assessed level of disadvantage. Further information on the supports provided under the DEIS programme, including DEIS Plus, can be found at gov.ie/deis.
