All primary schools are obliged to publish a school plan that describes their ethos, admissions policy and objectives.
The admissions policy of most primary schools is fairly straightforward - they give priority to children from their local area, which, for denominational schools, is usually the local parish. Admissions problems can arise in expanding areas where the school cannot cope with extra numbers. Where there is an accommodation problem, the school must give priority on the basis of their admissions policy, sometimes called an enrolment policy. This is drawn up by the board of management and should be available to you on request.
Schools run by the minority religions usually give priority to their co-religionists. The admissions policy for multi-denominational and non-denominational schools and Gaelscoileanna is decided by each school. The admissions policy must comply with section 7 of the Equal Status Act 2000.
If a school refuses to enrol your child you may appeal the decision to the school’s board of management. If this does not succeed you may appeal the decision to the Department of Education and Skills. More information about this is in the Circular 22/02 Appeals Procedures under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 and in the Department's section document on appeals procedures.
When choosing a primary school, parents may also need to know about the admissions policies of secondary schools. Some secondary schools give priority to the students from certain primary schools.