Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 June 2019
76. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applicants for each school nationally that were not accepted due to capacity issues for the school year that began in September 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27440/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018.
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted.
In schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. In this regard a Board of Management may find it necessary to restrict enrolment to children from a particular area or a particular age group or on the basis of some other criterion. For example, some schools give priority to applicants who have siblings in the school. The criteria to be applied by schools in such circumstances are a matter for the schools themselves.
Schools are not required to report to my Department on the number of applicants who are refused enrolment and therefore, the information requested by the Deputy is not available.
