Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 928: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) will be allocated a place in a school in Dublin 8; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10659/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Officials of my Department have been in contact with the National Educational Welfare Board in relation to the child referred to by the Deputy. The educational welfare officer for the area has been and will continue to work with the child's mother to assist her in securing a school place for her child. I understand that application for enrolment has been made to a number of schools, including the school referred to by the Deputy. When a decision on enrolment is communicated to the child's mother and if that decision is to refuse enrolment, then that decision can be appealed to the Secretary General of my Department under section 29 of the Education Act 1998.

Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 provides parents with an appeal process to the Secretary General of my Department, where a board of management of a school or a person acting on behalf of the board refuses to enrol a student. Where an appeal under section 29 is upheld, the Secretary General of my Department may direct a school to enrol a pupil. The educational welfare officer can assist parents in submitting an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act 1998.

As an interim measure, the child is now in receipt of a grant for home tuition hours for the remainder of the 2004-05 school year.