Education Committee to continue discussions on school admissions legislation

14 January 2014

In October, the Committee issued an invitation to interested individuals and groups to have their say on the Draft General Scheme of an Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2013.

Published by Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn TD in September, the Bill sets out to regulate the admission of children to primary and post-primary schools, to ensure a fair and transparent enrolment process. The Minister referred the draft General Scheme and the draft regulations to the Joint Committee, with a view to seeking input from key stakeholders on the proposals.

• Addressing the Committee tomorrow will be
• Marie Céline Clegg, Loreto Education Centre (Dublin);
• John Suttle;
• Ms Derval Duggan;
• Noel P Malone, Coláiste Chiaráin, Croom, Limerick;
• Gabriel McCabe;
• Eithne Reid O’Doherty, and
• Agnes Russell

Chair of the Committee Joanna Tuffy TD says: “This important piece of legislation sets out to regulate the admission of children to primary and post-primary schools, with the overarching goal of ensuring fair, consistent and transparent schools admissions processes. As well as seeking to curb the practice of cherry-picking students, the legislation also proposes to ban non-fee paying schools from seeking deposits or payments to secure places.

\"As legislators with the responsibility in this area, it is important that we engage with a wide range of perspectives on the potential merits and flaws within the legislation. Building on fruitful meetings with education partners in December, tomorrow will be a valuable opportunity to hear the diverse perspectives of individual citizens who responded to the Committee's call for submissions. On foot of these deliberations, the Committee will publish a report on the legislation, and the issues raised in the report may also be relevant in the context of the future consideration of the Bill by the Dáil and Seanad.\"

The meeting takes place tomorrow Wednesday 15 January at 1 pm in Committee Room 3, LH 2000. Committee proceedings can be followed live here.

Media enquiries to:
Paul Hand,
Communications Unit,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926

Committee Membership

Deputy Joanna Tuffy - Chair
Deputies James Bannon, Ray Butler, Joan Collins, Clare Daly, Brendan Griffin , Jim Daly, Derek Keating, Charlie McConalogue, Nicky McFadden, Jonathan O’Brien, Willie O’Dea, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Brendan Ryan
Senators Terry Brennan, Jim D'Arcy, Marie Moloney, Mary Moran, Marie-Louise O’Donnell, Averil Power