Louis O'Hara
Question:345. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth if more schools will be included in the DEIS programme in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32181/26]
View answerWednesday, 6 May 2026
Questions (345)
Written answers
Addressing educational disadvantage in all schools is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth. The DEIS programme is targeted at schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage.
I recently announced the DEIS Strategy to 2035 which is the first long-term, whole-system approach to addressing educational disadvantage. This strategy recognises education as central to breaking cycles of disadvantage, expanding opportunity, and ensuring long-term security. It sets out a more flexible model of support, so that resources are aligned with each school’s level of need as it changes over time.
The strategy also acknowledges that students at risk of educational disadvantage are present in all schools. It therefore focuses on improving outcomes, encouraging innovation, and ensuring schools can access the right supports when needed. The strategy does not provide for an expansion of the DEIS programme in 2026. The DEIS Strategy to 2035 sets out actions under the strategic objective 2.2, to develop an agile resource allocation model to support children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage in all primary and post-primary schools. These actions focus on the continued enhancement of the data available to measure school level disadvantage and for the development of a more flexible resource allocation model that can react to change in school needs and provide the right resources at the right time. The increase in DEIS Grant and HSCL allocation for schools in the DEIS programme, and the allocation of HSCL on a pilot basis to a selection of schools that are not in the DEIS programme is a first step in the move to that more dynamic model. No schools are losing resources in relation to this work.
As work continues on these actions, we will continue to work closely with schools and the education stakeholders. Any future allocation of resources will be considered over the lifetime of the DEIS Strategy to 2035 and in the context of available resources.