Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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212. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) does not have DEIS status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38950/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of my department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level in a targeted and equitable way across the primary and post-primary sector.

Following the largest expansion of the DEIS programme to date in 2022, benefitting 361 schools, the programme now includes in the region of 1,200 schools and supports approximately 260,000 students. This expansion added an additional €32million to my department’s expenditure on the DEIS programme from 2023, bringing the overall allocation for the programme to over €180million.The DEIS programme is targeted at schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage. Schools that were included in the programme in 2022 were those with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage as identified through the refined DEIS identification model. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme and the model was applied fairly and equally to all schools. A detailed paper on the refined DEIS identification model is available on gov.ie.

The extension of the DEIS programme to new schools is just one component of work in my vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. While the DEIS programme supports those schools with the highest levels of concentrated educational disadvantage, I also recognise that there are students at risk of educational disadvantage in all schools. Since June 2020, and over the last four budgets, I have secured funding to provide measures to support children in this regard. These measures include reducing class sizes and the allocation of free schoolbooks to students up to Junior Cycle.

To support this work, I invited the OECD Strength Through Diversity: Education for Inclusive Societies project to review Ireland’s current policy approach for the allocation of resources to support students at risk of educational disadvantage. In July this year I welcomed the publication by the OECD Education for Inclusive Societies project of the ‘Review of Resourcing Schools to Address Educational Disadvantage in Ireland'.

The review finds that Ireland has an education system that consistently outperforms many other OECD countries but also exhibits relative socio-economic fairness, making it one of the stronger performers globally. It also recognises the positive impact of resources provided universally to all schools, as well as the additional resources provided to schools in the DEIS programme, in addressing educational disadvantage.

The review also highlights continued improvements over the past decade in retention and attainment levels between children and young people in DEIS and non-DEIS schools. It notes that, even with these improvements, important differences in outcomes persist between DEIS and non-DEIS schools and for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and Travellers and Roma. The OECD review sets a number of recommendations for future policy, to bridge those gaps, improve equity and ensure every child and young person at risk of educational disadvantage is supported to achieve their potential in education. Over the coming months my department will work with other government departments and agencies, the education partners, and stakeholders across the education sector to develop tangible actions informed by the recommendations set out. These actions will aim to build on the success of the DEIS programme through the development of a dynamic resource allocation model that can respond to changing levels of need and ensure that all children and young people in both DEIS and non-DEIS schools are supported to achieve in education.

My department, together with DCEDIY and DFHERIS, published the Traveller and Roma Education Strategy (TRES) 2024-2030 on 16 July 2023, alongside the Plan for Implementation and Action 2024-2026. This strategy is specifically developed to meet the needs of the children, young people and adults from the Traveller and Roma communities with the aim of enhancing their education experience and success.

The strategy was developed through close collaboration with the Traveller and Roma organisations who formed part of the TRES Advisory Group. There was also widespread participation from a range of stakeholders during the consultation process including the children and young people themselves. Their experiences and insights were incorporated into the Strategy and Plan for Implementation and Action.

Under the first two-year implementation plan for the strategy, two national Traveller and Roma Education Strategy co-ordinators will be appointed to support the implementation of actions within the Strategy. One of the key objectives of the strategy is to increase the number of young people remaining in school to 6th year and achieving a Leaving Certificate. Actions include promoting training on inclusion and diversity through teacher professional learning, developing more targeted cultural competence training, promoting diversity in the education sector workforce and teaching Traveller culture and history through the curriculum.

The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile and also encompasses the English as an Additional Language (EAL) allocation that schools were allocated in previous years. All schools are advised in the first instance to review whether the needs of newly enrolled pupils can be met from within existing allocations. My department has adapted to the dynamic landscape of student enrolment particularly with the influx of newly arrived students into the country who require EAL. My department's policies enable flexible resource allocation, including additional EAL hours and positions, to meet these varying needs. Schools may also apply for further language support through the staffing appeals process.

In relation to the school referred to by the Deputy it is in receipt of .5 permanent WTE for EAL.

Special education is a key priority for the Government which has been underpinned by over a quarter of the entire education budget. For 2024, €2.7 billion is being spent on special education, an increase of €113 million. My department provides a system to support all children with special educational needs irrespective of their country of origin.

The Special Education Teaching (SET) allocation model for 2024/25 is based on information from all 4,000 schools in the country. The model distributes the total available number of SET posts in line with each school’s profile of need.

The model seeks to distribute teaching resources in the fairest possible manner, taking into account as much evidence as possible in respect of individual schools and evidence in respect of the best possible use of resources.? Schools must adhere to the guidance on the use of SET hours and support all children with additional teaching needs using the continuum of support framework.

The revised model is providing an annual allocation of SET?hours, using the best possible available data sources and is ensuring that the right resource is available at the right time to meet the needs of children with special educational needs.

My department acknowledges that every school is different, and that schools can experience unique circumstances that may be difficult to reflect in any standardised method. This is always a challenge when making allocations in respect of 4,000 schools. It is for this reason that my department, working with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has streamlined the review process for SET hours and schools who have any concerns can engage with the NCSE on their allocation.

My department's policies enable flexible resource allocation to ensure that the resources follow children in the event of them changing schools. In 2022, additional temporary special education supports were put in place on a sliding scale to support schools with large enrolments from Ukraine and other countries.