Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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853. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the case of persons (details supplied) in County Limerick; if she will make contact and assist the family in having their child return to school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20171/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency (EWS) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. I understand from my officials that the EWS have been in communication with this family.

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 an Educational Training Board (ETB) school to the ETB 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.

Application forms for taking a section 29 appeal are available on my Departments website at the following link: , or by contacting Section 29 Administration Unit, Friars Mill Road, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, phone 0761 108588.

My Department has no authority to compel a school to admit a pupil, except in the case of an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 being upheld.