Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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187. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to complete an assessment of enrolment policies in the secondary schools in Dublin Fingal East; to identify geographical areas in the constituency that are disadvantaged by schools enrolment policies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54330/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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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 students 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.?? 

In cases where new schools were established to serve a school planning area and the schools uses the school planning area as a criteria on their admissions policy, officials in my department can discuss amendments to this policy with the school, in the context of new residential areas and sustainable transport to schools with the aim for schools to better serve local sustainable communities.