A major issue has surfaced in my home town of Athenry relating to school admission procedures and the patent unfairness of the system in place. I have been contacted by numerous parents on the failure to have their children accepted into the school of their choice in the town. It is clear from the information I have gleaned from parents that there are a number of discrepancies in enrolment procedures which warrant further scrutiny. For example, boys and girls attend the same feeder school to the secondary school for the first three years of their schooling life, at which point the boys progress to the boys national school and all is fine and well until it comes to the point when the boys apply to the secondary school of their choice. They end up at a competitive disadvantage for school places because the girls get priority on account of the fact that their school is designated a feeder school. There is a gender bias and the impact is even more far-reaching as it is more difficult for the families in question to establish a family precedence of attendance at the school of their choice if they are unlucky enough to have a male student in the family. One child in particular whose parents came to my clinic on Monday lives in the middle of the town but was placed No. 77 on the waiting list, notwithstanding the fact that the student had attended the feeder school from the ages of five to seven years. It is outrageous that a child from the centre of Athenry cannot get into the school he wants to attend. There are other difficulties with parents who are applying to numerous schools.

This subject may be more suitable for a Commencement debate.

I accept that, but if this is happening in Athenry, it is happening in Portumna, Tuam, Loughrea, Gort and throughout Ireland. Some parents are applying to have their children educated in numerous schools and are clogging up the system for others who are trying to get their children into just one school. It is unfair and there are issues relating to the enrolment process which require further scrutiny. I know several attempts have been made to look into this by the Department, for which I commend it, but given the specific circumstances which have arisen in Athenry, we must have a further debate on this issue. I would appreciate it if the Leader could schedule some time to debate the enrolment process and invite the Minister for Education and Skills to come to the House for that purpose.