Public poll needed to end school entry rule

A referendum would be needed to end the ability of Church-owned schools to give enrolment priority to children of their own faith, Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan has said.

However, the minister said she would like to be able to ensure schools could not turn away pupils just because they do not belong to a particular religion.

The School Admissions Bill, which Ms O’Sullivan published in April, would allow schools to continue giving preference to children of the same religious faith in situations where there are fewer places available than the number of children seeking to enrol in a given year.