Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 1205: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when a second level place will be made available to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33588/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, provides parents with an appeal process where a Board of Management of a school refuses enrolment to a student. A Section 29 appeal recently took place in respect of a refusal to enrol this child to a school in Leixlip. This appeal was not upheld. Only where an appeal under Section 29 is upheld can the Secretary General of my Department direct a school to enrol a pupil.

The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The NEWB will try to help parents to find an alternative school placement if their child has been unable to secure a placement to date. I understand that in this instance that the NEWB are actively assisting the family in pursuing applications to other schools.

Home Tuition support may also be provided, on application, as a temporary interim measure, for pupils who do not have a school placement or are unable to secure a school place.