Mr. Seamus Mulconry:

Briefly, the advice we have been giving to schools since 2011 covers children from a feeder school; sisters and brothers of pupils currently in the school, which will depend on the type of school involved; Catholic children living within the parish boundary; Catholic children living outside the parish boundary who do not have a Catholic school within their own parish boundary, and other children living within it. What we are talking about is being able to prioritise within a catchment area. That is what we are already doing in most schools in Dublin. I cannot say it is in 100% of schools, but it is in most. The reason is very much the point I made about the Kitty Holland article. One could have a Catholic pupil or parent being disadvantaged because he or she does not have Irish to get into an Irish school or a pupil or parent is not Protestant and cannot get into the Protestant school. Pupils and parents want to get into their own schools and do not want to be pushed into a multidenominational or other patronage model. In essence, that is what our issue is.