I propose to take Questions Nos. 502 and 521 together.
The rollout of Apply to School marks a significant step towards improving the school admission system and fulfilling the Programme for Government commitment to introduce a nationwide common application system.
As the Deputy will be aware, Greystones was one of five areas involved the pilot Apply to School system. The pilot provides a single online application form for parents or guardians who want to apply for a first-year place for their child in participating schools, including for special classes. Parents will be able to apply to any or all schools within their pilot area on one online application.
It is important to note that while the Apply to School system facilitates applications, the issuing of offers remains the responsibility of each individual school in accordance with its admissions policy. The Department does not issue offers and does not hold a centralised record of the offer outcomes for each school.
The Department is engaging with the participating schools to review the pilot and gather any necessary data in order to evaluate the system. At this point, the Department does not hold the specific breakdown requested by the Deputy in relation to the 2026/27 intake.
