Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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333. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she plans to develop a real-time integrated waiting list for primary and secondary schools. [44968/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018.

Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools have admission policies, which are published on the schools website. Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process will 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. It is at the discretion of each individual school to determine their own admissions criteria in the event of oversubscription, and this must be included in the schools admission policy.

In the event of there being more applications to the school year concerned than places available, schools must compile a waiting list of students whose applications for admission to the school were unsuccessful due to the school being oversubscribed. This list remains valid for the school year in which admission is sought.

Placement on the waiting list of the school is in the order of priority assigned to the students’ applications after the school has applied the selection criteria in accordance with the schools own admission policy.

Offers of any subsequent places that become available for and during the school year in relation to which admission is being sought will be made to those students on the waiting list, in accordance with the order of priority in relation to which the students have been placed on the list.