433. Deputy Máire Devine asked the Minister for Education and Youth the rule for DEIS Plus school applications when they are within 700 metres of another school granted DEIS Plus status, in general and with regard to a school in Dublin 10 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33034/26]

Addressing educational disadvantage and ensuring that every child and young person can reach their full potential is a key priority the Minister for Education and Youth and for the Government. The new 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 with the highest concentrations of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage, identified through a refined data-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. This targeted enhancement of supports will not result in any dilution of resources for schools that do not meet the criteria for inclusion in the scheme.

It is important to stress that a school not identified through the DEIS Plus model does not in any way imply that the department is saying that disadvantage does not exist within that school community. DEIS Plus schools were identified using a refined, rules-based model built on nationally available pupil-level administrative data. The model draws on a range of indicators associated with persistent and intergenerational disadvantage, including small-area deprivation, lone parenthood and unemployment, Traveller and Roma identity, and children living in State-funded emergency accommodation or international protection accommodation. These indicators are applied consistently across all schools using enrolment data from the past three years.

In order to avoid unintended negative impacts on other schools, schools that did not meet the initial criteria but are situated on the same campus with a clear link (that is, girls and boys or junior and senior) or are within 700m of a school in the DEIS Plus scheme and are of a similar disadvantage level are included in the scheme. Further information can be found in the DEIS Plus Identification Model technical paper on gov.ie/deis.

It is possible for two neighbouring schools to have a different profile in terms of proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and the relative weighting of disadvantage apportioned in each. The designation of neighbouring schools to different DEIS status does not mean that there is no educational disadvantage present in one school, but that the concentrated level of educational disadvantage of the two schools is different.

The department is committed to ensuring that all schools are treated equally and fairly in the manner in which they have been identified for inclusion in the DEIS Plus scheme. Schools that were not satisfied with the outcome following the application of the DEIS Plus identification model to their school enrolment data have the opportunity to have that outcome reviewed. The appeal process is now open until 25 May. Schools have the opportunity to update their school enrolment data for the years 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 on POD and PPOD, where they identify that the information already provided is not an accurate reflection of their school enrolment for those years. Schools may also request that the application of the model to their existing data is reviewed.

The department is committed to ensuring that all schools are treated equally and fairly in the manner in which they have been identified for inclusion in the DEIS Plus scheme. Schools that were not satisfied with the outcome following the application of the DEIS Plus identification model to their school enrolment data may appeal that outcome.

Information on the appeal process can be found at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/circulars/deis-plus-scheme-appeal-process/