Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 380: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of classes in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 which have 30 or more children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16909/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing schedule is structured to ensure that all primary schools will operate to an average mainstream class size of 29 pupils for the 2005-06 school year. Posts allocated on the basis of this schedule are specifically for mainstream classes and should be deployed accordingly. Schools authorities are requested to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment). In particular, school authorities should ensure that there is an equitable distribution of pupils in mainstream classes and that the differential between the largest and smallest classes is kept to a minimum. In the school referred to by the Deputy there are 16 classes in the current school year of which 11 classes have 30 or more pupils and 5 classes have less than 30 pupils.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 381: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of classes in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 which have 30 or more children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16910/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing schedule is structured to ensure that all primary schools will operate to an average mainstream class size of 29 pupils for the 2005-06 school year. Posts allocated on the basis of this schedule are specifically for mainstream classes and should be deployed accordingly. Schools authorities are requested to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment). In particular, school authorities should ensure that there is an equitable distribution of pupils in mainstream classes and that the differential between the largest and smallest classes is kept to a minimum. In the school referred to by the Deputy there are 26 classes in the current school year of which 10 classes have 30 or more pupils and 16 classes have less than 30 pupils.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 382: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of classes in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 which have 30 or more children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16911/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing schedule is structured to ensure that all primary schools will operate to an average mainstream class size of 29 pupils for the 2005-06 school year. Posts allocated on the basis of this schedule are specifically for mainstream classes and should be deployed accordingly. Schools authorities are requested to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment). In particular, school authorities should ensure that there is an equitable distribution of pupils in mainstream classes and that the differential between the largest and smallest classes is kept to a minimum. In the school referred to by the Deputy there are 10 classes in the current school year of which 3 classes have 30 or more pupils and 7 classes have less than 30 pupils.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 383: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of classes in a school (details supplied) which have 30 or more children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16912/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing schedule is structured to ensure that all primary schools will operate to an average mainstream class size of 29 pupils for the 2005-06 school year. Posts allocated on the basis of this schedule are specifically for mainstream classes and should be deployed accordingly. Schools authorities are requested to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment). In particular, school authorities should ensure that there is an equitable distribution of pupils in mainstream classes and that the differential between the largest and smallest classes is kept to a minimum. In the school referred to by the Deputy there are 10 classes in the current school year of which 5 classes have 30 or more pupils and 5 classes have less than 30 pupils.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 384: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of classes in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 which have 30 or more children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16913/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing schedule is structured to ensure that all primary schools will operate to an average mainstream class size of 29 pupils for the 2005-06 school year. Posts allocated on the basis of this schedule are specifically for mainstream classes and should be deployed accordingly. Schools authorities are requested to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment). In particular, school authorities should ensure that there is an equitable distribution of pupils in mainstream classes and that the differential between the largest and smallest classes is kept to a minimum. In the school referred to by the Deputy there are 12 classes in the current school year all of which have less than 30 pupils.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 385: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of classes in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 which have 30 or more children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16914/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing schedule is structured to ensure that all primary schools will operate to an average mainstream class size of 29 pupils for the 2005-06 school year. Posts allocated on the basis of this schedule are specifically for mainstream classes and should be deployed accordingly. Schools authorities are requested to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment). In particular, school authorities should ensure that there is an equitable distribution of pupils in mainstream classes and that the differential between the largest and smallest classes is kept to a minimum. In the school referred to by the Deputy there are 20 classes in the current school year of which 14 classes have 30 or more pupils and 6 classes have less than 30 pupils.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 386: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of classes in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 which have 30 or more children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16915/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing schedule is structured to ensure that all primary schools will operate to an average mainstream class size of 29 pupils for the 2005-06 school year. Posts allocated on the basis of this schedule are specifically for mainstream classes and should be deployed accordingly. Schools authorities are requested to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment). In particular, school authorities should ensure that there is an equitable distribution of pupils in mainstream classes and that the differential between the largest and smallest classes is kept to a minimum. In the school referred to by the Deputy there are 6 classes in the current school year of which 3 classes have 30 or more pupils and 3 classes have less than 30 pupils.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 387: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of classes in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 which have 30 or more children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16916/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing schedule is structured to ensure that all primary schools will operate to an average mainstream class size of 29 pupils for the 2005-06 school year. Posts allocated on the basis of this schedule are specifically for mainstream classes and should be deployed accordingly. Schools authorities are requested to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment). In particular, school authorities should ensure that there is an equitable distribution of pupils in mainstream classes and that the differential between the largest and smallest classes is kept to a minimum. In the school referred to by the Deputy there are 12 classes in the current school year of which 4 classes have 30 or more pupils and 8 classes have less than 30 pupils.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 388: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of classes in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 which have 30 or more children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16917/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing schedule is structured to ensure that all primary schools will operate to an average mainstream class size of 29 pupils for the 2005-06 school year. Posts allocated on the basis of this schedule are specifically for mainstream classes and should be deployed accordingly. Schools authorities are requested to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment). In particular, school authorities should ensure that there is an equitable distribution of pupils in mainstream classes and that the differential between the largest and smallest classes is kept to a minimum. In the school referred to by the Deputy there are 24 classes in the current school year of which 19 classes have 30 or more pupils and 5 classes have less than 30 pupils.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 389: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of classes in a school (details supplied) which have 30 or more children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16918/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing schedule is structured to ensure that all primary schools will operate to an average mainstream class size of 29 pupils for the 2005-06 school year. Posts allocated on the basis of this schedule are specifically for mainstream classes and should be deployed accordingly. Schools authorities are requested to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment). In particular, school authorities should ensure that there is an equitable distribution of pupils in mainstream classes and that the differential between the largest and smallest classes is kept to a minimum. In the school referred to by the Deputy there are 31 classes in the current school year of which 20 classes have 30 or more pupils and 11 classes have less than 30 pupils.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 390: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a child from a feeder school (details supplied) in County Wexford, who is excluded from the catchment area of a particular secondary school, will be considered for admission to the secondary school. [16929/06]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 391: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the number of children being affected by the enrolment policy in a school (details supplied) in County Wexford over the next four years is only 24; her views on whether this small figure is not going to impact negatively on the pupils already attending the school but will impact negatively on the pupils from this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16930/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 390 and 391 together.

The post primary school to which the Deputy refers is heavily oversubscribed as a result of a significant number of pupils enrolling from outside its catchment area. The cumulative effect of the development of this type of situation over a number of years can impact negatively on pupils from within the catchment area who are entitled, as of right, to a place in a particular school. It also invariably impacts negatively on the school or schools to which these pupils should rightly attend and in which considerable capital investment has been made for this purpose. It is a matter for all school authorities, in the context of their enrolment policies, to limit enrolment to within their catchment areas to ensure that such situations do not arise.

As a once off exceptional measure, my Department decided that a number of named pupils from outside the catchment area to which the Deputy refers would be allowed to enrol in the post primary school in question for the 2005-06 school year. This decision was taken because the pupils concerned had an expectation that they would be enrolling in the school and did not have sufficient notice to secure alternative placements. It was made clear to the school authority in July of last year that this arrangement would apply for the 2005-06 school year only. It was made equally clear that the arrangement did not create a precedent and that it would not be repeated in subsequent years.

The catchment areas affected by this situation have a total of five post primary schools between them. An examination of enrolment trends in these schools has been carried out by School Planning Section for the purposes of ensuring that there is sufficient accommodation to cater for demand for pupil places. This examination revealed that enrolments in all five schools have dropped, in some cases quite dramatically, in the past ten years.

I am satisfied, therefore, that there are adequate places for the enrolment of the pupils in question in schools in their own post primary centres. I am also satisfied that adequate notice has been given to the particular post primary school concerned to ensure that it implements an appropriate enrolment policy for the 2006-07 school year in the best interests of its own pupils. Indeed, confirmation has been received from the school that it is effecting such an enrolment policy. In all of the circumstances, my Department's position in this matter remains unchanged.