1246. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider giving digital access to all DEIS schools for JCSP; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56568/26]

The JCSP Demonstration Library Project was developed in 2002 under the Early Literacy Initiative. It was introduced as a part of the Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP), a targeted social inclusion programme aimed at students who are identified as being at risk of being socially or academically isolated or at risk of early school leaving before the (then) Junior Certificate has been achieved. The Demonstration Library Project is based in 30 schools, or four percent of post-primary schools, each with a professional librarian employed by the CDETB who work as part of a network to operate the library facility. This network of professionals are managed by the Senior Librarian and in total 32 librarians are employed as part of the project. Librarians are responsible, together with key school staff, for drawing up and implementing library strategies to tackle the literacy difficulties experienced by many JCSP students.

It should be noted that, as part of the implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle, it was agreed to carry out a review of the JCSP and consider the extent to which the needs of students undertaking the JCSP are met through the reformed Junior Cycle. Pending completion of this review, the programme is currently closed to new applicants. Social inclusion and library access, however, are being addressed through other programmes.

The new DEIS Strategy to 2035 commits to working in partnership with the Local Government Management Agency and the Public Library Service to strengthen strategic linkages between libraries and schools. This collaboration will underpin the provision of services that support children and young people in the community, particularly those experiencing educational disadvantage. The DEIS Strategy Implementation Plan includes an action in this regard.

Launched as part of the DEIS Strategy to 2035, DEIS Plus 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. The DEIS Plus scheme also contains an action to provide funding to enhance library provision in post-primary schools.

The Public Library Service also offers a range of useful supports and services to schools. The Library Service published ‘The Library is the Place: National Public Library Strategy 2023-2027’ in July 2023. Under this strategy and the Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy, the Department will further enhance the partnership with the Library Service to increase school usages of the resources that are available through the public libraries.

The Department will continue to consider how community-based and school-based supports can be strengthened under the implementation of the DEIS Strategy to 2035.