asked the Minister for Education the steps taken by him to ensure the availability of post primary school facilities for primary school leavers next September in the Dooradoyle, Mungret and Ballybrown areas of County Limerick.

On the basis of the information available to my Department it is considered that ample accommodation will be available in second level schools in September, 1977, for pupils from national schools in the Dooradoyle, Mungret and Ballybrown areas.

Is the Minister aware that only eight places are available to the new national school, St. Paul's, for the comprehensive school in Dooradoyle? Would the Minister agree that a larger number of places should be available in the comprehensive school to the students in the immediate area of that school rather than having them ferried across to the far side of Limerick?

My understanding is that no pupils will be leaving St. Paul's national school in September, 1977.

When the first crop of students leave St. Paul's how many places will be available at the comprehensive for them?

I could not say at this stage because we are talking about September, 1978. I should like to tell the Deputy that for the 7,700 pupils who will be leaving the city of Limerick and its environments next September there are more than 8,000 places available. Every student who wants to take second level education will be guaranteed a place.

Can the Minister say if representations have been made to him by groups in the locality who are extremely worried that places will not be available in this comprehensive school for the children living nearest to it.

Yes, but the Deputy must remember the basis on which this comprehensive school was set up ten or 12 years ago. A certain set of guidelines were given as to how pupils should be enrolled. In any educational system no pupil could be guaranteed a place in the school of his choice. The State is required to see that there are adequate places available within a reasonable distance of where people live.

Surely the Minister is aware that students from a school called St. Brendan's are guaranteed a place in this school if they want it?

Guidelines were given as to how enrolments should be carried out when this school was set up.

Is the Minister unaware that there is a rule in operation which permits brothers and sisters of existing students to attend this school? Will the Minister say whether or not he believes that this is in the interests of fair play?

This came up in another context last week. At that time I said that I had great understanding of parents who wanted all their children to go to the same school. I know that the charge can be levelled at school managers that this is unfair and that they are not taking the best pupils. I have sympathy with parents who wish all their children to attend the same school, if only for reasons of convenience, and I also sympathise with managers of schools who are trying to cater for this understandable desire of parents.

Could the Minister tell me whether or not this rule about brothers and sisters being given priority in getting into this school is a Minister's direction, or is it a managerial decision?

It is a managerial decision.

Is the Minister satisfied that this is the best way to operate such schools?

As I have said, I have great sympathy for all the people involved.

Could the Minister state if the system of admission in the school by ability mix has had any effect on the intake from the immediate vicinity of the school?

No, I could not. Does the Deputy mean that the national schools nearest to the school in question are not getting admission?

I have it that the school decided that it did not want to have a total intake of low ability students and decided to take in students on an ability mix right over the spectrum of the intelligence test. Did this have an effect on where the pupils came from? Is the Minister satisfied that this is in agreement with the general principle of comprehensive schools?

I am satisfied that enrolments to this school are in line with the guidelines given to them on their foundation by the Minister for Education of the day.