Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I draw the attention of the Minister to a fault in what we call the post-primary schools common application system which is in place in Limerick. By and large, it works pretty well. It sees sixth class students list nine schools in order of their preference and they are usually offered a place in one of these schools. I understand the system is unique to Limerick and tries to do away with the class-based issues that unfortunately still arise, particularly in the city. However, it clearly does not work for everyone. Every applicant has to list nine schools in order of preference. Often, many of the nine schools included in the application will be totally unsuitable due to their location or other reasons, but pupils still have to list nine schools.

One family got in touch with me last week in a highly distressed state about the situation in which they found themselves. The child in question had submitted his application for a secondary school place like all of his friends, but last Wednesday he received a total of nine rejection letters from all of the schools included in his application form. I have copies of the letters before me and can count them from one to nine. He also received a letter telling him that there was no place for him in any of the schools and asking him to apply to two schools he had not put on his list which were not in the area. One is 30 km away and the other 27. He was the only child in his class who did not receive a school place acceptance letter. He was very distraught and did not know what to tell his friends when they asked him what school place he had received. He could not answer because he had been offered no school place. The Minister must imagine a 12 year old child receiving nine rejection letters and no offer of a school place.

His mother, as one can imagine, was really upset and distressed about it and did not know what to tell her son. They also received a letter which was very distressing to them from the Limerick Education Centre which referred to their "son-ward", meaning ward of court. That is totally unacceptable; it added to the family's stress. It is simply not acceptable and I ask that the Minister contacts the Limerick Education Centre directly to ensure that no letters using the word "ward" are sent to families to which that word does not apply.

The rejection letters received included the child's first choice school, which his family can literally see from the front door of his house. I know that well, because I know the family and know exactly where they live and I know the school in question. The primary school he attends is a feeder school of that school, so he should not have been refused. No young child should ever get nine rejection letters and no offer of a place and be left to search frantically for a solution.

I am raising this Topical Issue in the hope that changes will be made to ensure that this will not happen again. It is a problem that students have to put down nine schools in the first place: some of these schools are 30 to 40 minutes outside of Limerick city. If a child is offered a place in one of those schools he or she will have major difficulties in getting to and from the schools. It places a burden on parents who have to get their children out and back to those schools while trying to go to work themselves. I have been working closely with the family and the child's primary school. Both were very anxious that this be brought to the attention of the Minister as soon as possible. I hope that something can be done for this child and his family to ensure that he can access one of the schools he has chosen. I appreciate that not every child will be accepted into his or her first choice school, but to receive nine rejection letters and no offer of a place in secondary school is disgraceful and should never be allowed to happen again.

To clarify, I do not want to see the system abolished. It was brought in for good reason and usually it works well. However, something has to be done to ensure this does not happen again. No child should experience this ever again. Can the Minister clarify if he is aware of these issues in the system and outline what he can do to ensure that something like this does not happen again?

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