Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I understand what the Deputy says. He is arguing a very good case for the school in question, but the difficulty is that it is two short of the test. That test is applied everywhere. It is not applied randomly. It is possible to appeal if there are 15 extra children enrolled compared to the September just gone. The school did not meet that test of 15. There is also a criteria for appeal where there is an intake into junior infants of 30, but that does not apply in this case. It had an intake substantially below that number. Unfortunately, the appeal grounds were not met and these are applied uniformly across the system to 3,200 schools. The appeal board must deal with each of those cases fairly on its merits according to the criteria to be applied.

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