Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Does the Minister have a timeframe in mind? If Deputy Joan Burton's proposal were to succeed, or our proposal which is a variation on it, work will have to be done on catchment areas. Does the Department have administrative arrangements in place for this? This issue is rightly a political hot potato. It must be addressed and there is a responsibility on us to do so. We all see injustices done when these criteria are applied in a way that is perfectly legal and correct at the moment. While we would emphasise the locality and catchment, we see that there are administrative issues. What consideration has the Minister given to it in terms of timescale? While some children have already passed the school entry age, others are coming up through the ranks and their parents are watching, worriedly, their prospects for entry to their local school.

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