Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Education and Skills
School Enrolments
Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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494. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide guidance for the parents of a child living in an area (details supplied), in relation to applications for enrolment to primary schools where their property does not fall into any school catchment area for enrolment purposes, and as a result, their child does not place high enough in the categories to receive a place offer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46434/24]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My department’s main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available for the relevant year, the student 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. However, this may result in some student not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
In accordance with the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, schools are required to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. The criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools themselves. It is an important feature of the act that schools can only make a decision on an application for admission that is based on the school’s admission policy.
Under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, the parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, may appeal a decision of this school to refuse admission. An appeal may be made under Section 29 (1)(c)(i) of the Education Act 1998 where the refusal to admit was due to the school being oversubscribed. An appeal may be made under Section 29 (1)(c)(ii) of the Education Act 1998 where the refusal to admit was due a reason other than the school being oversubscribed.
TUSLA’s Education Support Service (TESS) which is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. TESS can be contacted at 01-7718500. For ease of reference, I have provided you with a link to the relevant phone numbers for the Education Welfare Officers who are part of TESS assigned to various areas around the country. .
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