Dublin South West TD, Seán Crowe, has criticised the Government after figures received  from the Department of Education and Skills show that 91 schools across the State have contacted the Department to query their absence from the list of new schools announced for the DEIS scheme. These include 16 schools in Dublin.

Crowe said that DEIS was supposedly designed to include not exclude, but in a bizarre turn of events schools in Dublin and across the country are querying their exclusion, and they currently have no way to officially appeal the decision.

Commenting on the figures, Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“In a bizarre turn of events 91 schools right across the country, including 16 in Dublin, have queried their exclusion from a list of schools that was supposed to tackle exclusion and disadvantage

“The Government’s new DEIS scheme is clearly not working and many schools are at a loss as to why their school has been excluded. DEIS status for schools was designed for inclusion not exclusion, but these figures show that this is clearly not happening.

“Even more bizarrely, as there is no specific appeals process currently in place, the number of schools feeling excluded may be even higher.

“Since the moratorium on new DEIS schools was put in place in 2009, child poverty levels in Ireland has increased from 6.3% in 2008 to 11.5% in 2015.

“We know that the level of disadvantage across our communities has increased due to the austerity policies pursued by successive governments and that it is having a lasting effect in many of our classrooms.

“Cuts to capitation rates, supports for traveller children, home school liaison, and the school completion programme have meant that schools have been consistently asked to do more with even less.

“While the Government pats itself on the back with spin about a ‘recovery’, the stark reality of our two tier society is clearly evident in classrooms right across the country.

“The new DEIS scheme is excluding rather than being including. Education Minister Richard Bruton needs to go back to the drawing board and refigure this scheme. There urgently needs to be an appeals structure put in place where schools who feel they fit the criteria can actually appeal and present their case.”

ENDS