Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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156. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will report on the situation whereby more than 120 applicants cannot access a place in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15, in particular the case of approximately 20 students from feeder schools; and the measures taken to relieve this situation. [3263/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware, 2 new post primary schools have been established by my Department in recent years in the Dublin 15 area to meet demographic demand. The school to which the Deputy refers is a 1,000 pupil post-primary school. Since the school commenced operation, the school authorities have enrolled children commensurate with the level of demand in the area. However, the Department has been advised that the school must curtail enrolments from September 2015, as to continue with the previous enrolment levels would leave the school in an untenable position into the future with regard to its accommodation.

However, the second new post primary school in the area which opened in September 2014 has advised my Department that they have the capacity to enrol additional children from 2015 onwards. In that regard therefore, my Department is satisfied that there are sufficient school pupil places overall to meet the demand in the area in question. This may sometimes, however, lead to pupils not being offered a place in their school of first preference.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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157. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views that many national schools in receipt of public funds are discriminating on religious grounds in their admission policies, in some instances requiring parents and children being forced to adopt or change their religion, attend religious celebrations, get their children baptised solely to be allowed to attend their local national school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3360/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. The enrolment policy must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants.

This Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants.

However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.

Existing equality legislation, which outlaws discrimination in relation to the admission of a student, makes provision for exemptions to apply in the case of single sex schools and in the case of schools where the objective is to provide education in an environment that promotes certain religious values. The Equality legislation provides that any school that has this objective may, where it has more applicants than places available, admit a student of a particular religious denomination in preference to other students. However, it is important to be clear that it is a parent who decides the religious denomination of their child. It is not a decision of a school. The legislation also provides that a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment that promotes certain religious values can refuse to admit a student who is not of that religion only where the school proves that this refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.

Parents have the right, if so desired, to ensure that their children do not receive religious instruction. In accordance with Section 30 of the Education Act (1998), no student can be required to attend instruction in any subject which is contrary to the conscience of the parent of the student.

It is my firm view that all schools should be inclusive. It is with this spirit of inclusiveness that the proposed Admission to Schools Bill is designed. Drafting of the Bill is currently at an advanced stage and the Bill is on the Government legislative programme for publication early in the Spring/Summer session.

The draft Bill does not propose changes to the existing equality legislation. However, the draft Bill will provide for schools to explicitly state in the school's admission policy that it will not discriminate against an applicant for admission on the grounds of disability, special educational needs, sexual orientation, family status, membership of the traveller community, race, civil status, gender or religion. The draft Bill will also provide for schools to publish an enrolment policy which will include details of the school's arrangements for students who do not want to attend religious instruction.

The Bill and its associated regulations should see improved access to schools for all pupils and ensure there is consistency, fairness and transparency in the admissions policies of schools and in the service they provide to parents.