Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 May 2022
455. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if her Department will implement an arrangement whereby children arriving to north County Kildare to stay with host families can attend the same school as the children of those families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24466/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra456. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if her Department will examine the case of a child (details supplied). [24467/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 455 and 456 together.
My Department is currently working to support education provision for children from Ukraine with immediate education needs. Utilisation of each school’s existing capacity in the most flexible way possible will be key to supporting Ukrainian children who are being enrolled in our schools.
All schools must implement their enrolment policy in accordance with the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted.
An application for admission can be made to a school at any time, and where they have spaces the applicant must be admitted. In the event that they are oversubscribed, they must create/ add the name to a waiting list of students whose application to the school was unsuccessful. This waiting list must be used to fill any vacancies that arise during the year.
Information available to my Department, including information from schools’ annual returns, national enrolments and a recent capacity survey at post-primary level indicates that there is available capacity within the existing school system, including north County Kildare.
Nevertheless, my Department is aware that at both primary and post-primary level there are significant variances in available capacity at local and regional level across the country.
Where capacity pressures arise, contingency arrangements will be put in place to support education provision for these students. The 16 Regional Education and Language Teams, or REALT, hosted by the regional Education and Training Boards, to support the needs of children from Ukraine arriving in Ireland will have a key role in managing these capacity pressures and will be supported in this by my Department which is making capacity information on the school system available to the REALT teams via the Geographical Information System. The data advises that, overall there is significant capacity available at both primary and post-primary level. My Department knows that some schools in certain areas are oversubscribed. The REALT are helping to manage this and they will identify schools with capacity, assist with accessing transport, and provide feedback to my Department on progress and challenges.
