asked the Minister for Education if she will indicate in respect of catchment areas applicable to national schools, whether it is obligatory on the national school to accept students within the appropriate catchment area in question.

National schools are generally provided to serve the needs of a specific area, usually a parish, and to accommodate the children residing therein. Should the limit for which school accommodation is available be insufficient to cater for all such pupils, it may be necessary for school authorities to restrict enrolments temporarily pending the provision of adequate accommodation. Where sufficient accommodation is available the national school would be expected to cater for all pupils in the relevant areas who apply for admission to it. If the Deputy has any particular case of difficulty in mind I shall be prepared to have the matter investigated if he furnishes me with particulars of it.

I am glad the Minister has established the principle. Is she aware that in certain instances students are unable to obtain enrolment in schools which provide for the area in which they live?

I should be glad if the Deputy would bring specific cases to my attention.

I will do so. Would the Minister accept that some school managements are availing of the cutback in relation to remedial teachers to reject students who in their opinion are in need of such treatment?

I am not so aware, and if the Deputy brings such cases to my attention I will have them investigated.

The Minister may not be aware of it but there are officers in her Department who have been made aware of it during the past year.

The Deputy did not mention that in the question.

Is it obligatory on parents to send children to the catchment area school or, because of social difficulties, can they enrol them in another national school within the parish but not in the catchment area?

In the primary system we do not speak about catchment areas. We speak of parish areas, and it is not obligatory on parents to send their children to the school within their area.

Is it in accordance with Department of Education rules that a school within a catchment/parish area may refuse to enrol a child and tell the parents to send him or her to the immediate neighbourhood school? Should not the child be allowed to go to the first school?

A board of management may decide that they cannot accept a child from outside their area.

This school would be within the parish, but not the immediate school. Have the board of management the right to refuse that child?

Usually there is one school within a particular parish or area.

There are two in the area about which I am speaking.

That sort of detail would be a matter for the boards of management.

Can the board of management refuse, even though the school is not crowded and has a vacancy for such a child?

A child from outside the area?

No, within the area, but not the immediate area.

A school should take students from the area which it was build to serve.

There are two shcools in the area.

I really cannot answer those questions because they are very hypothetical.

I will give the Minister details.