Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 160: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will explain the way it costs almost €1 million to hear the appeals from approximately 390 school pupils who were either expelled or suspended over the three year period 2009, 2010 and 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26572/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the Secretary General of my Department, or in the case of a Vocational Education Committee (VEC) school to the VEC in the first instance, where a Board of Management of a school, or a person acting on behalf of the Board, refuses to enrol a student in a school, expels a student or suspends a student for 20 or more days in any school year.

A section 29 appeals committee is established for the purposes of hearing and determining an appeal. A committee consists of three persons; an Inspector and two other persons who have the requisite expertise, experience and independence to serve on these committees.

In the three year period referred to by the Deputy, there were 1,126 section 29 appeals admitted by my Department, these included appeals made in respect of permanent exclusions, suspensions and also refusals to enrol. The main costs involved in the section 29 process relate to payments to appeals committee members, including travel and subsistence. The cumulative cost for the three year period in question was €974,000. This amount excludes payments to Inspectors.

Last year, I launched a discussion paper on school enrolment. The document, "Discussion Paper on a Regulatory Framework for School Enrolment" contains suggestions on how to make the process of enrolling in schools more open, equitable and consistent.

I invited education partners and interested parties to submit their views to my Department by the 28th of October last and my officials are now co-ordinating the submissions received.

The feedback from this consultation will help inform the nature and scope of a new regulatory framework for school enrolment. The new legislation will remove appeals against refusals to enrol from the Section 29 apparatus.