327. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the next application of the DEIS identification model to all schools will take place for the purposes of determining inclusion in the DEIS programme and the classification of existing schools as DEIS Urban Band 1 or Urban Band 2; and whether consideration has been given to undertaking a new assessment having regard to changes in the profile and concentration of educational disadvantage since the model was last applied to all schools in 2022. [67776/26]

Addressing educational disadvantage in all schools is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth.

The DEIS programme is targeted at schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage. Schools that were included in the most recent expansion of the programme in 2022 were those with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage as identified through the refined DEIS identification model. This model took into consideration the significant educational disadvantage experienced by Traveller and Roma learners and of students residing in direct provision or emergency homeless accommodation. 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 DEIS Strategy to 2035 is the first long-term, whole-system approach to addressing educational disadvantage. This strategy recognises education as central to breaking cycles of disadvantage, expanding opportunity, and ensuring long-term security. It sets out a more flexible model of support, so that resources are aligned with each school’s level of need as it changes over time.

Under Strategic Objective 2.2 the strategy sets out actions to develop an agile resource allocation model to support children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage in all primary and post-primary schools.

These actions focus on the continued enhancement of the data available to measure school level disadvantage and for the development of a more flexible resource allocation model that can react to change in school needs and provide the right resources at the right time. The increase in DEIS Grant and HSCL allocation for schools in the DEIS programme, and the allocation of HSCL on a pilot basis to a selection of schools that are not in the DEIS programme is a first step in the move to that more dynamic model. No schools are losing resources in relation to this work.

As work continues on these actions, we will continue to work closely with schools and the education stakeholders. Any future allocation of resources will be considered over the lifetime of the DEIS Strategy to 2035 and in the context of available resources.