Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2026
366. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure that a primary school will be included in the next expansion of the DEIS programme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11566/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra367. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure that a school will be included in the next expansion of the DEIS programme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11567/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 366 and 367 together.
Tackling educational disadvantage is a key priority for the Department of Education and Youth. The DEIS programme is a key policy initiative for addressing concentrated disadvantage at school level. Supplementing universal supports, the DEIS programme provides a fair and targeted way to address concentrated educational disadvantage that promotes equity and meets the needs of children and young people.
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 a new DEIS Strategy and to introduce the DEIS Plus scheme, which will commence this year.
Schools that were included in the expansion of the programme in 2022 were those with the highest levels of concentration of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage, as identified through the refined DEIS identification model. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme. The model was applied fairly and equally to all schools, including those in the DEIS programme already to ensure that they were in the band which best addressed their level of disadvantage.
Minister Naughton is committed to tackling educational disadvantage in all schools to ensure all children can reach their potential. To this end, a new ten-year DEIS Strategy to 2035 will be published in the coming weeks. The new strategy will introduce innovative solutions to address educational disadvantage and continue to address the gap between DEIS and non-DEIS schools.
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.
