Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The reality is that this is a perk for teachers, but the Minister's response is that it is reasonable in respect of teachers who are travelling long distances to the area where they are teaching. If, say, the factory worker in the factory adjacent to the same school is travelling long distances to his or her place of work, it might be advantageous for him or her to say, "I would like to have my child in this local school to my employment". It is not reasonable that it is a perk for teachers only, but I will respond to what the Minister has asked me. I do not intend to press the amendment because I would like him to give some consideration to it. It has been a problem in the past and it has the potential to be a problem in the future. The idea that children from outside an area could come into an area and get priority over local children is not something that would be acceptable to me. I have spoken to many principals and they have said they would not have that and that they would never do it but in so far as some schools do it, I ask that it would be something that is not acceptable.