Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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63. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the procedures in place for families that have recently relocated to Ireland from abroad in relation to enrolling their children in school; the way in which school places are allocated; the way in which appropriate class grades are determined; and the supports which are available to assist families during this transition. [57615/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The 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.

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. Schools cannot commence their admissions process until 1 October, the year proceeding the year admission is sought for. Once a school complies with this requirement, it is a matter for school as to when they run their admissions process. All late applicants should be admitted to the school where they have places available. Where a school is oversubscribed in any particular year, they are required to compile a waiting list of students whose applications for admission to the intake group were unsuccessful due to the school being oversubscribed.

It is important that the admission processes of schools are confined to one year of operation, i.e. the year prior to the intake of students. This ensures that there is transparency and consistency in how school admissions work across all schools in Ireland. This is essential in helping parents understand how they can enrol their child in a school. This is a particularly important factor for returning immigrants or those coming to work in this country.

Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998 the board of management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school and the principal is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school. In this regard the placement of children in the appropriate class group is a matter for the principal teacher.

Placing pupils in the most appropriate class is a key priority in supporting wellbeing, identity and belonging, as well as educational progression and outcomes. In primary schools the placement of pupils includes such considerations as placement in the same mainstream class as age peers; ensuring that children have access to all aspects of the Irish curriculum; considering all available results of assessments completed by the pupil, including those relating to special educational needs and advising senior pupils and their parents/guardians regarding progression to post-primary education in the Irish education system

For post-primary placement involves consulting with the student and their parents/guardians to establish their subject choices; considering how current subject choice is best aligned with subjects already studied by the student; and advising the student and their parents/guardians regarding class participation, assessment and other requirements.

The area of wellbeing and the promotion of positive mental health is a priority for the Department of Education and Youth. This includes promoting emotional wellbeing and resilience and positive coping skills, which support children and young people to manage the complexities of modern life. A dedicated wellbeing portal has been developed and is now available, bringing together all the wellbeing supports and resources that have been developed by the Department and the Department’s support services, which are available to view here on gov.ie - Wellbeing in education.

The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) has developed bespoke psycho-educational advice and support, with guidance, webinars and other resources, and NEPS psychologists are actively engaging with school principals to provide advice and support specifically for international children and young people.