Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 June 2012
201 Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if any precedent exists in which a post primary school has been granted DEIS status outside of a programme of applications being processed by the Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27041/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe process of identifying schools for participation in DEIS was managed by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) on behalf of my Department and supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the Inspectorate. Second-level schools were selected by reference to centrally-held data from the Post-Primary Pupils and State Examinations Commission databases. The identification process was in line with international best practice and had regard to, and employed, the existing and most appropriate data sources available.
In relation to schools that did not qualify for DEIS, it is important to note that an independent review process was available to schools that did not qualify for inclusion in DEIS but regarded themselves as having a level of disadvantage which was of a scale sufficient to warrant their inclusion in the programme. The results of the review were notified to schools in August 2006 and additional schools were added to the programme as a result of making successful review applications. As already advised, none of the existing schools in the country, which were unsuccessful in the initial identification and subsequent review processes, were ever admitted to the DEIS programme. Given the current economic climate and the target to reduce public expenditure there is no capacity at present for inclusion of new schools in the DEIS programme.
