To ask the Minister of Education for her assessment on the process for obtaining nursery places where the first choice is over-subscribed.

Caithfidh naonraí agus scoileanna a bhfuil naonra acu gach iarratas iontrála a mheas agus daltaí a ghlacadh suas go dtí an líon rollaithe atá faofa dóibh.

Nursery schools and schools with nursery units are required to consider all applications for admissions and admit pupils up to their approved enrolment number.

Whilst policy enables parents to state their preferences for the schools they wish their children to attend, if oversubscribed with applications, Boards of Governors of individual schools are required to apply the schools published admissions criteria to decide which pupils to admit. Responsibility for drawing up these criteria rests entirely with the Board of Governors of each school and reflects the Governors’ priorities for admission to their school. The Board of Governors must compile a list of all applicants in rank order, regardless of whether the school is their first, second or third preference.

If oversubscribed, application forms for pupils who have not been accepted for admission to their first preference school are made available to the parents’ second preference school via the Education and Library Board. This process is repeated for third preference schools etc until all places have been filled.