Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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997. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the changes she is planning to introduce regarding the school admissions policy; when she expects these changes to be in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38242/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2015, which was published in April of this year and is on the Government's legislative programme for enactment in this session, introduces a number of important changes to make enrolment policies fairer and more transparent.

These changes include new powers for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and the Child and Family Agency to designate a school place for children who have no school place. The Bill will also enshrine in law a ban on schools charging parents to apply for a place in school.

The Bill, while including provision for single sex schools and denominational schools to reflect in their admission policy the exemptions applicable to such schools under equality legislation, provides 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 Bill also requires 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 seeks to strike an appropriate balance between school autonomy and the interests of parents in our education system. This can be achieved through regulations that foster greater transparency and consistency in terms of how schools communicate and interact with parents. To that end the Bill sets out clearly matters relating to enrolment that regulations may address. The regulations have not been finalised; following enactment of the Bill, the draft regulations will be updated and published for consultation with the relevant education partners.