237. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the serious issues of intergenerational drug use, poverty and intergenerational trauma associated with drug feuds and drug intimidation were not considered when assessing schools in the Rathmullan area of Drogheda for inclusion in the DEIS plus programme; if not, the reason; and if she will commit to ensuring these factors are considered, possibly by way of narrative/qualitative submissions from school leaders and others, into the future. [70246/26]

Minister for Education and Youth: Addressing educational disadvantage and ensuring that every child and young person can reach their full potential is a key priority for the Minister for Education and Youth and for the Government. The DEIS Plus scheme, launched as part of the DEIS Strategy to 2035, represents the most significant expansion of targeted supports since the establishment of the DEIS programme.

DEIS Plus provides enhanced, evidence-based supports to schools with the highest concentrations of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage. Schools were identified through a nationally consistent, data-based model that draws on a range of indicators associated with persistent and intergenerational disadvantage. Following the conclusion of the identification and appeals processes, 129 schools were identified for inclusion in the DEIS Plus scheme.

The DEIS Plus identification model was developed and refined as part of the introduction of the scheme, drawing on the most up-to-date data available and an assessment of indicators of concentrated and persistent disadvantage over a three-year period. The identification model is underpinned by a range of administrative data on every child and young person enrolled in primary and post-primary school. This data includes:

• The Pobal HP Deprivation Index for the small area in which the child or young person lives, obtained through the child’s or young person’s address data provided by their school on the DEY Primary Online Database (POD) or the Post-Primary Online Database (PPOD).
• The child’s or young person’s ethnicity, if provided by their school on POD or PPOD.
• If the child’s or young person’s address on POD or PPOD matches an address of State-funded homeless accommodation.
• If the child’s or young person’s address on POD or PPOD matches an address of an International Protection Accommodation Centre (IPAS) or Emergency Reception and Orientation Centre (EROC).

The DEIS Plus identification model includes the addition of a DEIS Plus index. The DEIS Plus index was developed by the department’s statistics unit to support the identification of schools for DEIS Plus. The DEIS Plus index uses the same factors as the Pobal HP Deprivation Index but places greater weight on lone parenthood and unemployment, which have been widely identified as key factors in persistent and intergenerational disadvantage.

Children and young people from ‘very disadvantaged’ or ‘extremely disadvantaged’ areas (HP score -20 under either the Pobal HP Deprivation Index or the DEIS Plus index), residing in State-funded emergency accommodation, residing in IPAS or EROC accommodation, or identifying as Traveller or Roma are designated priority cohorts within the model.

Following an assessment of the past three years’ data, only those schools identified as having the highest concentrations of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage have been included in the scheme. If a school has not been identified for inclusion, this does not imply there is no disadvantage in the school community. While many schools experience significant need, not all will meet the statistical threshold for inclusion at this stage. Schools will continue to be supported through the range of additional resources provided through the DEIS programme.

The DEIS Plus identification model uses objective, nationally consistent measures of socioeconomic disadvantage, including the Pobal HP Deprivation Index. This is particularly relevant in this context: research published by the Health Research Board and Pobal in 2026 found addiction treatment rates to be approximately 13 times higher in the most disadvantaged areas than in the most affluent areas.

Crime, drug-related intimidation and associated community trauma are not included as direct indicators in the model. There are significant limitations in using recorded crime data for this purpose, particularly as such data measure reported incidents rather than the underlying prevalence of harm. The 2026 National DRIVE report, for example, identifies drug-related intimidation as substantially under-reported due to factors including fear of reprisals, stigma and proximity to intimidators.

While the Department does not therefore directly measure involvement in drug-related crime or intimidation, the model captures the underlying socioeconomic disadvantage which is strongly associated with these harms. Any future use of qualitative submissions would also need to ensure that evidence could be assessed consistently, objectively and equitably across all schools.

However, be assured that my department will continue to work to improve the evidence behind how we allocate resources to tackle educational disadvantage. My department is currently working with colleagues in the Central Statistics Office and across other government departments to examine whether other administrative data sources can be factored into future iterations of the model to improve how we can resource schools in a targeted way to support children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage.