Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

Yes, I can make regulations but we cannot direct individual schools to take individual pupils except through section 29. However, I agree with the Deputy that this situation should not arise. In certain instances people may want their children to go to certain schools and we cannot facilitate that. I take the Deputy's point, in so far as there are places available, no school should be in a position to refuse people on grounds that are suspect, to say the least. Again, I am not commenting on the situation in Limerick. Regulations will help that and we will endeavour to put them in place. We already have an agreement with the managerial bodies.

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