Child refused local school place to be helped appeal decision

A 12-year-old boy from the travelling community who was refused a place his local secondary school will be helped by the Education Welfare Office in appealing the school’s decision.

Paddy Flynn is the only child from the sixth class in Ballyfermot's De La Salle primary school whose application to the nearby De La Salle secondary school was turned down.

Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton says the Education Welfare Office will assist the family in appealing the decision of the school and will also approach five other local schools to find an alternative for Paddy.

“I have put in place measures, legislation going to the Dáil that in the future there will be a power for the Council of Special Education Need or Túsla to require a school to take an individual pupil.

“A number of steps are being taken to ensure that Paddy’s case is dealt with in the short term as quickly as possible but also in the long term that a more robust structure is in place.”

De La Salle secondary school told RTÉ News that his application was rejected because it was late.

His parents, who cannot read or write, say they did not know they had to apply.

De La Salle secondary principal Ann Marie Leonard said that by the time Paddy’s application was received, two First Year classes had been arranged for the following year and those classes were full.

De La Salle has enrolled 38 First Year students this year.

Enrolment data received by RTÉ News shows that this is substantially fewer than were admitted last year and in the years before that.

In 2015 De La Salle admitted 67 First Years students and 77 students in 2014.

The Department of Education said a late application would not be a sufficient reason for a school to reject a child unless the school was already full when the application was made.

Ms Leonard said that due to falling enrolments generally, the school had this year reduced the number of First Year classes from four to two.

A well-wisher offered to pay for Paddy to attend a private school, but his parents declined the offer saying they believe his interests would be best served by attending a local school with his friends.