To ask the Minister of Education if she has considered reviewing the nursery applications process to ensure that priority is given to children who are in their final pre-school year, regardless of the preference they have given, over under-age children who may have ranked the unit first on their list of preferences.

Agus iad ag breithniú iarratas le linn phróiseas iontrála na réamhscoilíochta, tugann gach soláthar reachtúil naíscoilíochta tosaíocht d’iarratais ó pháistí a bhfuil ina mbliain dheireanach réamscoile ag gach céim thosaíochta. Ciallaíonn sé seo go mbeidh tosaíocht ag an iarratas le haghaidh páiste a bhfuil ina réamhscoil dheireanach ar iarratas le haghaidh páiste atá níos óige.

In considering applications during the pre-school admissions process, all statutory nursery providers give priority to applications in respect of children in their final pre-school year at each preference stage. This means that a stated preference for a child in their final pre-school will have priority over an application from a younger child. Nursery schools and units only consider applications from younger children once the admissions procedure has been applied to the applications for the children in their final pre-school year. Funded pre-school places in the voluntary and private sector are only open to children in their final pre-school year.