Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 1274: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the action she will take to ensure that all children within the Limerick city catchment area secure a place in a post-primary school for the 2006-07 school year, in view of the decision of school principals to cease operating a central applications system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25740/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that, following the difficulties which arose last summer when more than 80 Limerick city children were left without an offer of a school place, my predecessor brought together the trustees and management authorities of all of the post-primary schools to ensure a co-ordinated approach would be taken to enrolments for 2005-06. Following this initiative the schools agreed the terms of the common application system for the 2005-06 school year and this was facilitated through the Limerick education centre with support from my Department.

While difficulties were still experienced for the 2004-2005 school year, by and large the system worked. All children submitted their applications on time. There were no duplicate applications for the schools to deal with. Every child got an offer of a school place in Limerick city. Of the 1,545 applicants 95% received offers from schools within their first three preferences. Seventeen appeals were heard under section 29 of the Education Act 1998, of which only one was upheld. In all other cases the schools were held to have applied their enrolment policies in a fair and reasonable manner. A small number of other appeals were withdrawn or resolved at local level. All of this was a very different picture than that of 2004.

Contrary to reports of a decision of school principals to cease operating a central applications system, my information is that the school principals have met on a number of occasions since the start of the current school year to discuss alterations to the system as it operated in 2005. I understand these discussions are ongoing. My Department remains willing to support the schools in whatever manner is necessary to ensure the successful operation of the central applications system is developed and brought forward so as to ensure all the children of Limerick city will be accommodated, in so far as possible, in the school of their choice within the Limerick city catchment area for the coming school year and beyond.