Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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616. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will support and advise parents whose children cannot receive a secondary school place due to living a few hundred metres outside the parish boundary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36640/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The selection and enrolment of pupils in schools is the responsibility of the authorities of the individual school. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in an area. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. As schools may not have a place for every applicant, 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.

The position is 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 Education and 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.

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 Education (Admission to Schools) Bill, which was published in early April of this year, introduces a number of important changes to make enrolment policies fairer and more transparent.

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 details for the EWS is Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency, Floors 2-5 Brunel Building, Heuston South quarter, Dublin 8 phone 01 7718500.