School Patronage

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Questions (1307, 1376)

Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

1307. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to assist schools with divestment of patronage from religious orders. [33636/14]

View answer

1376. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide in tabular form the names of skills that are in the process of changing or plan to change patronage; their current patrons and prospective patrons. [33939/14]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1307 and 1376 together.

Five new primary schools opened at the start of the current school year under the patronage divestment process. All five schools are operating under the patronage of Educate Together. The details of the schools are contained in the following table.

The Department engages directly with the main Catholic patrons in the areas identified for patronage divesting with the assistance of the Catholic Schools Partnership. The Patrons and the Catholic School Partnership engage with and support the catholic school community locally.

The focus is now on identifying viable start-up schools for 2015 and beyond and the Department is consulting with the Catholic patron representatives and bodies such as Educate Together in this exercise. It is too early at this stage to say where new schools may commence under the divestment process in 2015.

Schools opened under patronage divesting process September 2013

School Name

Patron

Accommodation

Accommodation status

*Portabello ERNS

Educate Together

Former Edmund

Rice Schools Trust

Building, Basin Lane,

Dublin 8

Permanent

*This school opened in temporary accommodation in 2013. It has now moved to its permanent location.

Schools opened under patronage divesting process September 2014

School Name	Patron	Accommodation	Accommodation Status
Malahide/Portmarnock ETNS	Educate Together	Holywell ETNS	Temporary
Tramore ETNS	Educate Together	Pond Lane, Tramore	Temporary
Trim ETNS	Educate Together	The Glebe, Trim	Temporary
Newtownwhite ETNS, Ballina	Educate Together	Former CoI NS, Newtownwhite	Permanent