Written answers

Tuesday, 28 February 2012

Department of Education and Skills

School Enrolments

8:00 pm

Photo of Jack WallJack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 268: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if correspondence (details supplied) can be considered in the request for a primary school place in respect of the person detailed; the mechanism the family should follow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11497/12]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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As I indicated to the Deputy in my response to his question of 21 February, 2012, the enrolment of a child in a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools.

My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education. 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 a school placement if their child has been unable to secure a school placement to date. The NEWB can be contacted at National Educational Welfare Board, National Headquarters, 16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7 or by telephone at 01-8738700.

In addition, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) can assist parents to identify appropriate educational placements for children with special educational needs. Parents may contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs and to seek assistance in identifying placement options, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie. Where a school refuses to enrol a pupil, the school is obliged to inform parents of their right under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 to appeal that decision to the Secretary General of my Department. Only where an appeal under Section 29 is upheld, may the Secretary General of my Department direct a school to enrol a pupil.

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