Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 April 2007
189 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of successful appeals under Section 29 in 2005 and 2006 by county; the number of children who subsequently failed to be accommodated in the chosen school; the number who were provided with home tuition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15699/07]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy on a county by county basis is not available within my Department and would involve an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile. However, I can inform the Deputy that in 2005 and 2006 a total of 300 and 263 appeals respectively were completed by my Department under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998. These figures cover both first and second level students.
The position in relation to 2005 is that 41 appeals were withdrawn. A further 50 appeals were resolved by local agreement and 36 were resolved by an independent facilitator. The remaining 173 cases were heard by an appeals committee and of these 73 were upheld, in other words the appeal was successful.
In 2006, 65 appeals were withdrawn. A further 15 appeals were resolved by local agreement and 22 were resolved by an independent facilitator. The remaining 161 cases were heard by an appeals committee and of these 73 were upheld in favour of the appellant.
Where an appeal is upheld the Secretary General of my Department may direct the school in question to enrol the pupil and schools are obliged to comply with the Secretary General's directions. No statistical information is available in relation to schools that have yet to comply with the Secretary General's direction in relation to appeals which have been upheld.
Home tuition is sanctioned by my Department as an interim measure for the duration of an appeals process where a child is out of school or until an appropriate school placement has been secured. The information requested in relation to home tuition sanctions pending the outcome of Section 29 appeals is not readily available.
