Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2025
503. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth the rationale for the decision to bring in a common enrolment process for the Greystones area that did not allow parents to input a preference for a particular school/s as is provided for in a common enrolment process in Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72408/25]
View answer522. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth the rationale for the decision to bring in a common enrolment process for the Greystones area that did not allow parents to input a preference for a particular school as is provided for in a common enrolment process in Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72551/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 503 and 522 together.
The rollout of the pilot Single Online Application for Schools marks a significant step towards improving the school admission system and fulfilling the Programme for Government commitment to introduce a nationwide common application system. The Apply to School pilot was introduced to simplify and improve the admissions process for post-primary schools in five pilot areas. This new system provides families, for the first time, with a single online application and introduces synchronised, streamlined timelines for schools to manage admissions, issue offers, and update a central database to record accepted places.
I am aware of the Common Application System (CAS) in Limerick City. My department is taking lessons from the implementation of the system and other such systems as well as feedback from the ongoing Apply to School pilot to inform development towards the full Programme for Government commitment for a national system. Measures such as the expression of preference for school(s) require comprehensive examination and consultation to ensure that any new system is equitable and transparent. There are multiple potential approaches for the implementation of a preference system, particularly given the complexity of admissions legislation. Different implementations would have different outcomes in terms of maximising the proportion of children who secure a place in a preferred school. Implementations may also vary significantly in their outcomes across different areas, where the numbers of schools, flow into and out of the area, and school of choice factors could all have a major impact on the likelihood of children securing a place in their preferred local school. It is important, therefore, that any proposed new system that impacts on a child’s school place is robustly scrutinised and tested before being rolled out.
My department is committed to ensuring that any new system produces the optimal outcome for children and I can assure the Deputy that officials in my Department will continue to work in consultation with stakeholders to develop an evidence-informed, tested, equitable solution for a nationwide Common Application System and to deliver this in an incremental way that ensures the admissions process safeguards the best interest of children.
