Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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141. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her engagements with the teaching unions and parents in relation to the shortage of school places in areas such as Dundalk, County Louth acknowledging the challenges this has on families at an already stressful time of year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51606/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for school places in a number of school planning areas including the school planning area to which the Deputy refers.

Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:

- Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place  to a number of schools in the area

- School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area

- Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school there are not available to all pupils

- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area

The true extent of any capacity issue is the subject of my Department's ongoing engagement with the relevant school authorities. Similar to last year, my Department is engaging further with patron bodies, including patrons in the school planning area in question, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming year(s) which may necessitate action including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.

My Department’s school building programme has a large pipeline of projects under its Large Scale Capital Programme and Additional Accommodation Scheme to cater for current and future educational demands. There are a number of such projects in Dundalk, including significant extension projects at St. Francis NS and St. Oliver Plunkett's NS.  Good progress continues to be made with the rollout of projects and the current status of all projects is listed on a county by county basis on my Department’s website at www.education.ie.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the provisions that have been commenced in relation to the Education Act 2018, specifically, the aims to make the rules around admissions to schools more structured, fair and transparent; the provisions yet to be commenced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51607/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 was signed into law on the 18^thJuly 2018. The overall objective of the Act is to provide a new framework for school enrolment that is designed to ensure that every child is treated fairly and that the way in which schools decide on applications for admission is structured, fair and transparent.

The following provisions have been commenced and are now operational;

- Sec 62 requiring schools that are not oversubscribed to admit all students who have applied for a place.

- Amendment of the Equal Status Act 2000 which removed, in the case of recognised denominational primary schools, the previous provision that permited such schools to use religion as a selection criterion in school admissions.

- Waiting lists are banned, thus ensuring that parents who move in to a new area are not disadvantaged.

- All schools must publish their admissions policies, including details of their selection criteria.

- All schools must publish an annual admissions notice, detailing the dates the applications process takes place, including details of offers made the previous year if the school was oversubscribed.

- Charging of fees or seeking payment or contributions for an application for admission to a school or for the enrolment or continued enrolment of a student in a school are prohibited.

- Section 8 setting out the steps requiring a school to open a special class or classes where the National Council for Special Education has identified a need for such provision within an area.

The remaining sections of the Act to be commenced require further consultation and procedures to be drafted and this process is ongoing.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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143. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that currently comply with the Education Act 2018 and the aims to make the rules around admissions to schools more structured, fair and transparent by county in tabular form; and the number of schools yet to comply with these rules. [51608/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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All recognised schools are required to comply fully with the act. The overall objective of the Act is to provide a framework for school enrolment that is designed to ensure that every child is treated fairly and that the way in which schools decide on applications for admission is structured, fair and transparent. The new arrangement also involve new appeal procedures for applicants where they were unsuccessful in gaining a place in a particular school.

My Department does not compile the information requested by the Deputy.