Tackling educational disadvantage and helping every student realise their full potential is a clear priority for the Minister for Education and Youth. With the introduction of DEIS Plus in 2026, that commitment is being matched with significant investment — and higher expectations for evidence‑based impact.
The question for schools isn’t whether support is increasing.
It’s how effectively that support will be planned, targeted, and measured.
This is where iAbacus comes in.
DEIS Plus: Targeting High-Concentration Need
Budget 2026 marks a major shift in Irish education with an additional €48m investment by 2027 and a new national strategy. Central to this is DEIS Plus, a high-tier designation for schools where intergenerational disadvantage and outcome gaps are most acute.
DEIS Plus will focus on schools where:
- Intergenerational disadvantage is deeply embedded
- Gaps in outcomes are significant
- Barriers prevent students from achieving their full potential
With this level of focus comes an increased emphasis on planning, evaluation, and accountability.
The Challenge for DEIS Plus Schools
Additional resources are powerful — but only when they are strategically aligned to real needs.
DEIS Plus schools will be expected to:
- Clearly identify priority areas
- Develop focused, measurable action plans
- Track progress across attendance, retention, literacy, numeracy, wellbeing, and progression
- Demonstrate impact over time using evidence
For schools designated as DEIS Plus, the mission is as clear as it is challenging: to break the cycle of educational disadvantage in the communities that need it most. While the additional funding and staffing are vital, they also bring an increased level of accountability and a need for highly sophisticated action planning.
How iAbacus Supports DEIS Plus Schools — Practically
iAbacus was designed for this exact challenge.
At its core, iAbacus helps schools move from compliance to clarity — turning strategy into something visible, shared, and actionable.
The question for leadership teams in DEIS Plus settings is often: How do we move from managing these extra resources to proving their impact? iAbacus provides the answer, moving beyond standard compliance into a realm of deep, actionable insight.
1. Tailored Frameworks for DEIS Plus Complexity
DEIS Plus schools aren't just looking at general school improvement; they are managing complex interventions across Literacy, Numeracy, Attendance, and Wellbeing with a higher degree of granularity. iAbacus offers ready-made templates specifically aligned with Irish inspection guidelines and national DEIS themes. These templates allow you to:
Evidence Every Euro: Link specific DEIS Plus funding to targeted actions and outcomes, creating an audit trail that is always inspection-ready.
Track the "Unseen" Progress: Use our visual bead system to capture the qualitative shifts in pupil engagement and wellbeing that standard data often misses.
2. The Power of "Overlay" for Holistic Planning
In a DEIS Plus school, no theme exists in a vacuum. High absenteeism (Attendance) directly impacts reading scores (Literacy). iAbacus’s unique Overlay and Stack features allow you to merge these different evaluations instantly.
- The Panoramic View: A Principal or DEIS Coordinator can overlay the Literacy abacus with the Home-School Community Liaison (HSCL) abacus to see if parental engagement strategies are actually translating into classroom achievement.
- Identifying Success Patterns: Spot which specific interventions are "helping" and which barriers are "hindering" across multiple cohorts.
3. Reducing the Workload of High Accountability
DEIS Plus schools face intensive reporting cycles. iAbacus is designed to be a "blessed relief" from wading through pages of static Word documents.
- Action-Focused: Instead of just filing a plan away, iAbacus creates a "living" record of improvement where progress is tracked visually over time.
- One-Click Reporting: When an inspector arrives or a Board meeting is called, generate a polished, professional PDF summary of your entire DEIS Action Plan in a single click.+1
4. Supporting a "Yes We Can" Culture
The pressure in DEIS Plus settings can sometimes lead to a culture of compliance. iAbacus inverts this by starting with professional judgment. It empowers every teacher and TA to contribute their "insider knowledge" to the school’s story. By making the process simple and visual, it fosters a shared sense of ownership over the school's mission.
Final Thought
As the new DEIS Strategy comes into focus in 2026, schools that are ready, structured, and evidence‑informed will be best positioned to succeed.
iAbacus helps schools get there — clearly, confidently, and collaboratively.
If you’re thinking about DEIS Plus, it’s time to think about how you plan, evaluate, and show impact.
Find the DEIS template and our other Irish templates here:
