School Staff
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-27
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Michael Moynihan (FF), Cork North-West

In the first instance, the school has the DEIS plus status. That status provides extra resources to communities and schools like the ones the Deputy has mentioned. It is important we acknowledge the work that is being done and the amount of money the Government is putting behind the DEIS plus programme and understand the disadvantage in communities across the country and in the ones the Deputy outlined. The challenge is ensuring we have proper governance. We have to have a cut-off date and 30 September has long been that date. I take the points because having been a public representative for a number of years I see where the numbers go beyond it. Unfortunately, the Department made a decision based on the numbers that were provided on 30 September. That date has been engrained in the primary system for a long number of years. An appeal was submitted by the school authorities and that is completely independent of the Department and of the Minister. The appeals submitted have been looked at. The DEIS plus programme has been put out there to ensure disadvantaged schools and communities are supported in a meaningful way and that we are targeting scarce resources right across the Department to ensure they are going to the most vulnerable. We understand fully the more we invest in education at a disadvantaged level and right across the education system, the better it is for society, but unfortunately the appeals system came back to say it stood by the decision made by the Department. We will continue, through DEIS plus and other programmes, to support the school the Deputy mentioned and also disadvantaged schools right across the country.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-27/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:04+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-27