Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 201: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure the views and request of a local community are acceded to in the designation of an area as part of the catchment area for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31581/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Catchment boundaries have their origins in the establishment of free post-primary education in the late 1960's and were determined following consultation with local educational interests. For planning purposes the country was divided into geographic districts each with several primary schools feeding into a post-primary centre with one or more post-primary schools. The intention was and continues to be that these defined districts facilitate the orderly planning of school provision and accommodation needs. Enrolment in individual post-primary schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.