Ms Linda Rainsberry:

The Chairman asked about the admissions policy. The school, like every other school, has a published admissions policy. I cannot pretend to know the exact order of the seven categories. However, the first category comprises Church of Ireland children from within the united diocese and children from outside the united diocese. Priority is then given to siblings and for people with a proven connection to the school, obviously including teachers who teach in the school. At this stage applications are at such a level that the top categories are filling the capacity and those who would not have any connection with the school would probably be in difficulty in getting places because of the oversubscription. It is a very acute problem.

As I said, because the Church of Ireland schools are disparate and widely spaced, a Protestant child living in Mountmellick might end up without a place if preference was given to somebody living beside the school to take that place.