Vol. 565 No. 1
201 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Science the provisions that have been made for some 42 applicants who have been refused entry to Malahide Community School, County Dublin due to the delay in processing the new school; and the progress made on this project. [10141/03]
The building project at Malahide Community School is at an early stage of architectural planning, namely pre-planning permission, and is included in section 7 of my Department's 2003 school building programme which is now readily accessible on my Department's website at www.education.ie. In view of the scale of the current capital programme and having regard to the level of financial commitments to be met from projects already in construction, I do not envisage that my Department will be in a position to allow further large scale building projects including that of Malahide Community School to progress beyond their current authorised stage of architectural planning for the time being.
Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 provides for an appeal to the Secretary General of my Department where a board of management of a school or a person acting on behalf of the board refuses to enrol a student. An appeal will generally not be admitted unless it is made within 42 calendar days from the date the decision of the board of management was notified to the parent or student concerned. Under the Act an appeal must be dealt with within 30 days of its receipt with a provision for a 14 day extension to this timeframe where it is required.
My Department has received 19 appeals under section 29 of the Education Act 1998 from parents of students who were refused enrolment in Malahide Community School. These appeals are currently in progress and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the substance of an appeal until such time as it has been dealt with.
My Department also gives assistance in securing placement in individual cases where, for whatever reason, a pupil is without a mainstream school place and the parents or guardian seek my Department's assistance.
