Minister Naughton announces €48 million investment in new DEIS Strategy and DEIS Plus Scheme

Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton has today announced a €48m investment in the new DEIS Strategy and DEIS Plus scheme. The measures represent a the biggest full-year investment in targeted supports to address educational disadvantage since the establishment of the DEIS programme in 2006.

Minister Naughton published the DEIS Strategy to 2035, a comprehensive ten-year plan to address educational disadvantage and promote equity across all schools supported by this investment. Published alongside this is the first three-year DEIS Implementation Plan 2026-2028.

Also published today is the DEIS Plus scheme, which will provide enhanced, targeted supports to 121 schools with the highest concentrations of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage.

In total, the measures announced under DEIS Plus and the DEIS Strategy will deliver over 400 additional roles, including approximately 350 teacher posts, benefiting some 700 schools nationwide.

Key measures include:

1. Major investment in tackling disadvantage

The Government is committing €48 million (annual cost) to a new DEIS Plus Scheme and the DEIS Strategy to 2035, marking a significant step-up in addressing educational inequality across Ireland.

2. Targeted support where it’s needed most

A total of 121 schools with the highest levels of disadvantage will receive intensive, tailored supports through DEIS Plus, using a new data driven identification model to maximise our impact.

3. Real resources: more teachers, more support staff

The plan will deliver over 400 additional roles, including around 350 new teachers, directly strengthening schools’ capacity to support students at risk.

4. Broader reach beyond DEIS schools

Supports are expanding, with Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) services extended to 130 additional schools, including those outside the traditional DEIS programme, widening the safety net for vulnerable children and young people.

5. Long term vision backed by immediate action

This is not just a policy announcement but a roadmap: a ten-year strategy to 2035, backed by a first implementation plan (2026–2028), ensuring sustained progress and accountability.

6. Increased funding directly into schools

DEIS grant funding is being increased for 371 primary and 82 post-primary schools, putting additional resources straight into classrooms to support students and school communities.

Minister Naughton said: “Every child and young person deserves the chance to stay in school, to feel supported, and to thrive. This programme is about putting their needs at the centre, about strengthening their wellbeing and giving the opportunity to break the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage.

“I am particularly excited to be joined at today’s launch by children and young people, who are the very students whose experiences have driven us to where we are today. It is my hope that they will benefit from these supports and truly prosper in the years ahead.

“The DEIS Strategy to 2035 and the introduction of the DEIS Plus scheme will deliver a more responsive, evidence-based system of supports, reaching children and young people wherever educational disadvantage exists. These measures ensure that we are targeting resources where they are needed the most and support schools to make a real and lasting difference.

“A strong evidence-based approach was used to identify schools for inclusion in the DEIS Plus scheme. Using the most up-to-date data available, a newly refined identification model used indicators of concentrated and persistent disadvantage over a three-year period to identify the schools where additional support will have the greatest impact. I would like to thank all the school leaders and other stakeholders who contributed their ideas and time to help develop this landmark new scheme”.

A long-term strategy for equity in education

The DEIS Strategy to 2035 sets out a whole-system, evidence-based approach to addressing educational disadvantage in all schools. It recognises that disadvantage exists across the system and aims to ensure every child and young person is supported to reach their full potential.

The strategy includes:

• Expansion of HSCL supports
• Strengthened wellbeing, inclusion and community partnership supports
• Additional community link workers
• Increased capitation funding and additional supports for teacher professional learning
• Free period products in all schools by 2027
• A robust monitoring and evaluation framework with annual reporting

The strategy will be delivered through three phased implementation plans to 2035.

Targeted supports through DEIS Plus scheme

DEIS Plus is a key Programme for Government commitment aimed at reducing child poverty and improving outcomes for students in schools with the highest levels of need.

Developed in collaboration with principals, teachers, HSCL and SCP coordinators and others working on the ground in schools with a very high concentration of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage, and including consultation with children and young people, the scheme focuses on:

• Attendance, engagement and retention
• Student wellbeing and trauma-informed supports
• Strengthening school leadership and staff capacity
• Improving access to opportunities and services
• Supporting transitions to further and higher education

Supports under DEIS Plus include:

• 121 additional teacher posts (provides for a co-ordinator for each DEIS Plus school for the new Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing initiative)
• 33 leadership posts to enhance leadership allocations including 3 additional administrative principal posts at primary to ensure every DEIS Plus primary school has an administrative principal; 19 new administrative deputy principals at primary and 11 deputy principals at post-primary. Additional release days for primary schools with teaching deputy principals.
• Enhanced Guidance allocation (30 whole time equivalent posts) including the introduction of whole-school guidance in primary schools for the first time
• 40 additional HSCL co-ordinator posts to ensure all DEIS Plus schools have a full-time HSCL coordinator
• 25 wellbeing practitioners to extend the Strand 2 Counselling in Primary Schools pilot to more DEIS Plus schools and to provide further access to Strand 1 which include 1 to 1 counselling supports for children and young people
• Funding for breakfast clubs and free period products
• €400,000 innovation fund
• Enhanced links with third-level institutions and industry.

Investment and impact

The measures represent a €48 million investment, the biggest full-year investment in targeted supports to address educational disadvantage since the establishment of the DEIS programme in 2006.

No school will lose existing DEIS supports under these changes.

Next steps

The Department will continue to engage with schools, education partners and stakeholders throughout implementation. Annual progress reports will track delivery of the strategy and DEIS Plus scheme.

Circulars will issue to schools in the coming weeks outlining arrangements for new posts and other matters under the scheme, and the DEIS Plus scheme appeals process.

Further information is available at https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/publications/deis-strategy-to-2035/