Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 840 and 842 together.

A school's Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of the school. The Board of Management is accountable to the school patron.

Accordingly, whereas my Department provides funding and policy direction for schools, it does not have the power to instruct schools to follow a particular course of direction with regard to individual complaint cases. My Department's role is to clarify for parents and students how their grievances and complaints against a school can be progressed.

Where there is cause for complaint from a parent, matters would normally be addressed to the individual teacher or school Principal as appropriate.If matters cannot be resolved at that level, then a complaint can be addressed to the school’s Board of Management.

A school may have a formal complaints process in which case this should be followed in pursuing any complaint.

Where a parent is of the view that the school's managerial authority has failed to investigate or adequately investigate their complaint, it is open to the parent to raise the matter with the patron of the school.

Parents and students may also raise a concern with the Ombudsman for Children. The Office of the Ombudsman for Children may independently investigate complaints about schools recognised by my Department, provided the parent/student has firstly and fully followed the school's complaints procedures. The key criterion for any intervention by the Ombudsman for Children is that the administrative actions or non-actions of a school has, or, may have, adversely affected the child.

Further information is available on the Department’s website: www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/complaints-about-schools/.