As the Deputy is aware, an extensive identification process to select schools for inclusion in DEIS was conducted in 2005. In spite of reminders, a completed survey form was not received at that time from the school referred to by the Deputy and therefore it could not be assessed for participation in DEIS. Further, an appeal mechanism was put in place in 2006 to address the concerns of 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 school referred to by the Deputy did not apply for an appeal of their DEIS ranking.
Many representations have been made to my Department and to my predecessors, by and on behalf of this school, seeking its inclusion in DEIS. These representations were unsuccessful. It should be noted that none of the existing schools in the country, which were unsuccessful in the initial identification and subsequent review processes, were ever admitted into the DEIS programme.
The DEIS Programme is the subject of ongoing evaluation to ensure successful implementation and the use of the best possible approaches to measuring progress and outcomes at both local and national level. An overall report on the learning from DEIS is also being prepared by the Economic and Social Research Institute which will draw together the main findings of research to date and provide advice to inform future policy to combat educational disadvantage, including DEIS.
