Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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1223. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an overview of the primary and secondary legislation governing school matriculation and university entry in Ireland. [23165/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Universities Act 1997, Technological Universities Act 2018, and the Institutes of Technology Act 2006 are among the principal legislative instruments governing higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ireland. These Acts grant HEIs autonomy over their academic and administrative functions, including admissions policies.

Most applications to higher education are processed through the Central Applications Office (CAO). The CAO facilitates a centralised, fair, and efficient application process; however, participating institutions retain full authority over admission decisions. It is important to note that the CAO is a private, not-for-profit entity jointly owned by publicly funded HEIs, and there is no specific legislation governing the CAO itself.

It should also be noted that this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of legislation affecting admissions. Other noteworthy legal instruments include the Equal Status Acts 2000–2018, which prohibit discrimination in education on various grounds, and the Disability Act 2005, which mandates reasonable accommodations and accessibility for individuals with disabilities. HEIs also have responsibilities around equity of access in their own Acts, as listed at the outset.