Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 May 2026
160. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the additional resources that will be made available to primary schools listed following the recent Deis Plus announcement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38368/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAddressing 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 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, 96 primary and 25 post-primary schools, with the highest concentrations of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage, identified through an evidence-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.
Schools in the DEIS Plus scheme will receive strengthened, research-informed supports across wellbeing, attendance, engagement, guidance, leadership capacity, community partnerships and access to services, including the introduction of a new positive mental health and wellbeing initiative to support a whole-school approach to student wellbeing.
Supports to be provided to DEIS Plus primary schools include:
• A home school community liaison (HSCL) coordinator post for all DEIS Plus primary schools.
• All primary schools allocated an additional teacher post to allow for the assignment of a Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing (PMHW) coordinator.
• All primary schools in DEIS Plus are allocated an administrative principal.
• Reduced threshold for the allocation of administrative deputy principals for primary schools to 251 students.
• Two release days for deputy principals in all primary schools in DEIS Plus with between 151 and 250 pupils, and one release day those in schools with 150 pupils or fewer.
• DEIS grant alignment – alignment of the DEIS Grant calculation with up-to-date data and new resource allocation methodology resulting in an increase for all primary schools in the DEIS Plus scheme.
• Introduction of a pilot project to provide whole-school guidance hours for primary schools in the DEIS Plus scheme.
• Increased Inspectorate and Oide professional learning support.
• Funding to have a breakfast clubs to combat food insecurity in homes and to ensure that children and young people come to school ready to learn.
• Provision of free period products to all DEIS Plus schools in 2026 where required to ensure dignity and that no student is held back due to period poverty. This will expand to all schools from 2027.
Further information on the supports provided under the DEIS Plus scheme can be found at: gov.ie/deis
