Ms Bláthnaid Ní Ghréacháin:

What I said was that in a small number of cases where there is over-demand and over-subscription some schools prioritise. First of all, they have to prioritise siblings. That leaves a very small number of places available for new families. Within that, certain schools, but not all, would prioritise Irish as the home language and parents and families that are active in the use of Irish. After that, there are other criteria such as religious ethos. There are different categories. It is well within the right of schools to prioritise families with Irish as a home language. This is ultimately the reason the schools are there. It also must be remembered that we are talking about a small minority of schools. Where the schools can cater for the demand, every child is welcome in those schools. Those are the facts.