Mr. Noel Malone:

Probably. That is the point. Maybe it is the nub of where the solution lies. Going back to my original point, it is often the case that a section 29 appeal is taken against a particular school but the issue may not be about that school at all. It might be that the particular child has been brought from Billy to Jack between many different schools and this school happened to be the one that is the subject of the appeal. First, regarding the board, ombudsman or whoever makes the decision, the number involved should be much smaller. In my experience of section 29 appeals, the review boards tend to be a bit big. Second, the person making the decision should be able to explore options beyond the particular school in question because that might not necessarily be the best solution. If the board, in looking across the city and county of Limerick, for instance, found a solution, it should be able to ask whether it would be a better solution for the child. I understand that power does not exist at present. The appeal can only deal with the particular case, parent A against school B, which is restrictive. There should be scope for the education centre. We are not utilising the education centres enough, and that is why I mentioned that they could be involved on a lottery basis in terms of applications.