Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 October 2017
95. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to maintain the resourcing of DEIS schools, restore support services and attain a 15:1 maximum class size in DEIS band 1 junior classes by making suitable provision in Budget 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42475/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraDEIS, Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, is the main policy initiative of my Department to address educational disadvantage, which was updated earlier this year with the publication of DEIS Plan 2017.
I wish to point out that the resourcing of DEIS schools has and will continue to be maintained. In fact, for the first time in ten years I extended the DEIS programme of supports to 79 new schools as well as providing additional resources to 30 existing DEIS schools, following a new assessment of all schools earlier this year. Details of the full range of supports available to DEIS schools can be found on my Department's website at: https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/DEIS-Supporting-Information/Supports-to-DEIS-Schools.html.
As the Deputy may be aware, there is a specific action in DEIS Plan 2017 in relation to class size, and I have committed to an evaluation of the optimum level of teaching resources to help inform future policy in this area. This work will be taken forward as part of the implementation of DEIS Plan 2107, which is currently under way. In the meantime, Urban Band 1 DEIS primary schools continue to benefit from a reduced class size of 20:1 in junior classes and 24:1 in senior classes.
