Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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133. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of section 29 appeals to his Department on expulsions which occurred in each of the years 2014 to 2016, inclusive; and the outcome of each appeal. [44761/17]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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134. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of section 29 appeals to his Department on expulsions arising from special schools or children attending special classes in each of the years 2014 to 2016, inclusive; and the outcome of such appeals. [44762/17]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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135. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of section 29 appeals to his department on expulsion arising in respect of children who were diagnosed as having special educational needs in each of the years 2014 to 2016, inclusive; and the outcome of each such appeal. [44763/17]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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136. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of section 29 appeals to his Department on refusals to admit which occurred in each of the years 2014 to 2016, inclusive; and the outcome of each such appeal. [44764/17]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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137. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of section 29 appeals to his Department on refusals to admit arising from special schools or children attending special classes in each of the years 2014 to 2016, inclusive; and the outcome of such appeal. [44765/17]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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138. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of section 29 appeals to his Department on refusals to admit arising in respect of children who were diagnosed as having special educational needs in each of the years 2014 to 2016, inclusive; and the outcome of each such appeal. [44766/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to answer Question Nos. 133 to 138, inclusive, together.

Under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, parents or students who have reached the age of 18 years, can make an appeal to the Secretary General of my Department where a board of management or a person acting on behalf of the board of management, permanently excludes a student from a school, or suspends a student for 20 or more school days in any school year or refuses to enrol a student.

The following table gives details on the number of section 29 appeals processed by my Department for the years 2014 to 2016. This table includes details on each category of appeal taken under section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 for these years and the outcome of appeals.

My Department does not collate statistics on section 29 appeals by reference to pupils who attend special schools or special classes. However, the section 29 application form does ask parents to indicate if their child has special educational needs.

In 2014, of the 225 appeals that went to a full hearing 58 appellants would have indicated that their child has special educational needs.

In 2015, of the 231 appeals that went to a full hearing 64 of the appellants would have indicated their child has special educational needs.

In 2016, of the 218 appeals that went to a full hearing 65 of the appellants would have indicated on the application form that their child has special educational needs.

Section 29 Appeals 2014-2016

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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139. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of section 29 appeals to ETBs on refusals to admit which occurred in each of the years 2014 to 2016, inclusive; and the outcome of each such appeal. [44767/17]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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140. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of section 29 appeals to ETBs on refusals to admit arising from special schools or children attending special classes in each of the years 2014 to 2016, inclusive; and the outcome of each such appeal. [44768/17]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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141. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of section 29 appeals to ETBs on refusals to admit arising in respect of children who were diagnosed as having special educational needs in each of the years 2014 to 2016, inclusive; and the outcome of each such appeal. [44769/17]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of section 29 appeals to ETBs on expulsions which occurred in each of the years 2014 to 2016, inclusive; and the outcome of each such appeal. [44770/17]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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143. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of section 29 appeals to ETBs on expulsions arising from special schools or children attending special classes in each of the years 2014 to 2016, inclusive; and the outcome of each such appeal. [44771/17]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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144. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of section 29 appeals to ETBs on expulsion arising in respect of children that were diagnosed as having special educational needs in each of the years 2014 to 2016, inclusive; and the outcome of each such appeal. [44772/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to answer Question Nos. 139 to 144, inclusive together.

In the case of a school which is established or maintained by an Education and Training Board (ETB) any appeal being taken in accordance with section 29 of the Education Act 1998, lies in the first instance with the ETB. 

My Department began to collate statistics on ETB section 29 appeals in 2016. 

The figures included in the following table give details on the number, category and outcome of ETB section 29 appeals for the years 2015 and 2016.

My Department does not collect statistics in relation to ETB section 29 appeals under categories of special schools or special classes. In addition, my Department does not collect statistics on the number of ETB section 29 appeals which related to children with special educational needs.

ETB S29 Stats 2015 and 2016