20/08/2026
✅ City Connects programme extended to 13 DEIS and DEIS Plus schools in Limerick City from September
I welcome the announcement by Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton T.D. of the extension of the City Connects programme to 13 schools in Limerick City for the coming school year, extending evidence-based supports to children and young people that utilises school and community-based resources to improve students’ academic and social outcomes.
City Connects is a whole-school approach that supports children by addressing challenges that can present significant obstacles to attendance, learning and wellbeing.
The initiative is implemented by the Department of Education and Youth in partnership with Tusla Education Support Service and the National Centre for City Connects Ireland based at Mary Immaculate College, Ireland.
The proposed Limerick City cluster consists of 13 schools, comprising 12 primary schools (of which seven are in the DEIS Plus scheme and five are DEIS Urban Band 1 schools ) and one post-primary school in the DEIS Plus scheme.
The DEIS Strategy to 2035 and the DEIS Plus scheme emphasises the need for greater continued collaboration between government departments and agencies at national and local level to support better educational outcomes.
The extension of City Connects will support improved integration of services to support children and young people.
This extension achieves action 3.1 under the DEIS Plus Implementation Plan 2026-2028 and represents a full-year investment of €1.8 million.
ℹ️ Expansion of the Programme
The City Connects programme will expand to Limerick City and Tallaght from September 2026 under Action 3.1 of the DEIS Plus Scheme Implementation Plan 2026-2028.
The Department of Education and Youth will continue to monitor and evaluate the expansion to Limerick to inform future policy development in relation to the programme.
