Equal access to schools will not be dealt with by this Government says Education Minister

The Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan has admitted the current Government will not deal with the issue of equal access to schools.

Jan O'Sullivan's comments come as a petition of 20,000 signatures is due to be handed in today demanding a change to the law.

Currently one in five schools that are over-subscribed can invoke the right to only accept children who have been baptised.

Minister O'Sullivan has said this issue will not be dealt with in the remaining months of this Government.

“I’ve said that in the existing programme for Government we have agreed that the Admissions to Schools Bill will go through, but we haven’t agreed any changes to the Equality legislation, which is the Equal Status Act, which is the basis on which schools can give priority to their own denomination if they are over-subscribed," she said.

“So that won’t change in the lifetime of the current Government, because it isn’t in the programme for Government.”