Call for Archdiocese of Dublin to reconsider ending “sibling first” policies

Catholic primary schools in Dublin have been told to abandon the “sibling-first” policy and offer places on a first come first served basis.

This follows a decision by the Archdiocese of Dublin to ask schools to update their admissions policies.

The proposed changes are due to begin for the 2021 academic year with schools told to give equal access to all children in the local catchment area.

Schools are due to commence enrolments next month.

One Southside TD however is calling on the Archdiocese of Dublin to reconsider their decision to end the practice of giving priority enrolment to siblings of pupils already attending schools.

Dún Laoghaire Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill says she is concerned at the plans and is calling on the Archdiocese to provide data on the proportion of places occupied in each class by such enrolments before pressing ahead with any changes.

“Juggling work and dropping children to school is difficult as it currently is for many parents, in particular for single parents.,” Deputy MacNeill said.

“Arranging drop offs and collections at different times in different schools would make the planning and practicalities of their week even more difficult for parents.

“Now more than ever, with the rapidly evolving working landscape, we should be trying to work together and consider the whole family unit when making decisions about enrolment policies.”

Deputy Carroll MacNeill said the issue is already causing considerable angst for parents.

“We need to ensure access to schools for all students, in particular for children living in the locality,” she said.

“But parents must be consulted by schools and school management before any such decisions are made.”