Ms Brigid Quilligan:

Deputy Charlie McConalogue mentioned section 29 and the judicial review. This is the reality for many Traveller parents. I imagine that the number of people using section 29 in respect of Traveller parents, children from disadvantaged backgrounds and children with special needs traditionally has been very high. In our experience, certain schools show a great deal of animosity towards Traveller children. Traditionally, Traveller children who went on to secondary school were directed to vocational or other schools that might not have had high academic outcomes for students. Even now, Traveller children are subject to part-time hours in such schools, in that they are seen as a problem rather than someone valuable. Even before admission, a Traveller child is seen as a problem, regardless of academic ability or background and it is purely because he or she is a Traveller. Many schools do not want to have Traveller children.

When going through an application process, it is difficult for a Traveller parent to know which school is full and which is not. Traveller parents, including me at one time, applied to several schools in a particular area to get the best outcomes for their children. We wanted the same educational outcomes for our children as anyone else around the table, yet we received a blanket "No." There are many barriers for Traveller and migrant children in terms of the parental rule. A reduction to 25% has been suggested, but this remains a significant barrier for children who historically have had no parent or older sibling attend a particular school. The only effective means of getting a child into a school is by using section 29, despite the fact that it is ineffective. When one takes a case, the basis of the ruling is whether a school used its own criteria. Sometimes, these criteria exclude children from various backgrounds.

Other speakers today have spoken about fairness of access. It is important that the voices of Traveller, migrant and immigrant children and children with special needs, who are traditionally excluded from schools, are heard. What might appear like a fair appeals process to the general community can be a huge barrier for the parents of these children. We know this from experience. There are many people lining up in our law centre to take cases based on their not being able to enrol their child in a school of their choice. It is hugely important that children who are trying to achieve, particularly children who are at an educational disadvantage, such as Traveller children who traditionally would not have attended school, can access a place in the right school so that they are in an environment where they are supported, loved and encouraged to reach their potential. Unfortunately, the choice of schools available to Travellers because of enrolment policies is now very limited. This is limiting Travellers' progress in the education system.