Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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163. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason access has not been granted following a section 29 Appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick who is attending a feeder school and whose parent is suffering from a critical illness and requires daily hospital treatment; if she is aware of parents abusing the Common Application System by using false addresses; her plans to address the shortfalls of the system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22549/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools. 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.

A Common Application System (CAS) was agreed between the principals of the post-primary schools in Limerick City. This system has been facilitated through the Limerick Education Centre (LEC) with support from my Department. Whilst this administrative system ensures that a co-ordinated approach can be taken to enrolments in the area, each school authority, in accordance with the Education Act, 1998, retains autonomy in relation to its own enrolment policy.

Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the Secretary General of this 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. Officials from my Department understand that a Section 29 appeal to the local ETB has been taken in respect of the student referred to by the Deputy.

Where a section 29 appeal to the ETB is unsuccessful the parent or guardian may take an appeal to the Secretary General of my Department within 42 days. Application forms for taking a section 29 appeal are available on this Departments website at the following link

: 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.

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. The EWS may be able to offer assistance and advice on securing a school placement within the pupil's area. The contact detail for the EWS is Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency, Heritage Business Park Bessboro Road Mahon Cork, phone 021 2428611.