Scrapping school admissions bill ‘would waste years of consultation’

Government plans to scrap a bill to regulate how schools enrol children have led to accusations of wasting years of detailed consultations on new laws.

Under a plan in the new Programme for Government, Education Minister Richard Bruton begins consulting today with opposition parties and other Dáil groupings before introducing a new School Admissions Bill.

While the minister insists he must do so to ensure getting the law passed, his predecessor, Labour TD Jan O’Sullivan said he could simply amend the School Admissions Bill she introduced in April 2015.