The education minister is promising that new rules on school admissions will ensure every child is welcome in every school.

But Jan O'Sullivan has confirmed that new laws will still allow schools to hold back 10% of their places to the children of former pupils.

It forms part of the Admissions to Schools Bill, which aims at bringing more fairness and structure to the enrolment structure at both primary and secondary level.

Schools will also be banned from charging parents to apply for places, except at private or boarding schools.

Waiting lists, which are seen to discriminate against immigrants and parents who have relocated, will be phased out under the new rules.

The minister has announced the details at the INTO Congress in Co Clare this morning.

"There has been some public discussion about the proposal in the draft regulations to limit to 25% the number of places that can be reserved for the children of past pupils," she said.

"I am on the record as saying that I have yet to see any evidence that would support the retention of that 25% exemption, but that I am happy to listen to all views on this as the legislation proceeds through the Oireachtas."

"But I have some sympathy for the viewpoint of the Oireachtas committee, which suggested that no such exemption should exist."

"It is certainly my view that a much lower exemption, of perhaps 10% of all school places, is as high as such a threshold should be set. Of course, access to education is only one component of delivering equality of opportunity."

The resources that are in place to support children have an equal role to play in this regard," she added.

It will also allow the NCSE and TUSLA to designate a place for a child in a school.

Speaking to Lunchtime today, Jan O'Sullivan outlined the various parts of the bill:

There has been a broad welcome for new legislation to overhaul school enrolment.

The new Admission to Schools Bill will mean schools can only hold back 10 per cent of their places for the children of former pupils.

However, the legislation will not affect the rights of schools to prioritise children of certain religions.

Sinn Féin's education spokesman Jonathan O'Brien says that should have been addressed in the new Bill

“You may only have a school of one particular faith and if priority is given to children of that particular faith then if there is a situation that you have more students applying than there are places then it’s going to discriminate against people on a religious basis and that is something we wouldn’t like to see happen,” Mr O’Brien said.