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School Patronage

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 June 2018

Tuesday, 12 June 2018

Questions (434)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

434. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the new system for the awarding of a patronage to schools will be finalised in view of findings that the Education Act 1998 had been contravened by his Department in the process of appointing a patron to a new primary school in the Drumcondra, Marino and Dublin 1 areas; if he has examined the demand for multidenominational education through the medium of Irish in this area; and if the statutory language obligations will be adhered to in the process by which patronage is awarded with regard to the 42 schools due to be established in the next four years. [25594/18]

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Written answers

Following completion of the relevant patronage process, Educate Together was awarded patronage of the new school established to serve Drumcondra/Marino/Dublin 1 in 2016 – Gracepark ETNS opened in September 2016 and its patronage remains with Educate Together. In its April 2016 report to the Minister on the patronage process which included this new primary school, the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG) noted the strong level of demand for Irish-medium education in the Drumcondra/Marino/Dublin 1 area and recommended that this would be kept under review in the context of future demographic exercises. In this regard, following completion of nationwide demographic exercises, on 12 April 2018, the Minister announced the establishment of 42 new schools from 2019 -2022, including a new primary school to be established in September 2019 to serve the Drumcondra/Marino/Dublin 1 school planning area. In the context of the NSEG report, and given the strong level of parental demand for a Gaelscoil in the area evidenced as part of the 2016 patronage process, it would be recommended that this would be established as a Gaelscoil under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta.

Regarding the Deputy’s query on the patronage process generally, a patronage process is run after it has been decided, based on demographic analysis, that a new school is required. This patronage process is open to all patron bodies and prospective patrons. Parental preferences for each patron and language of instruction, from parents of children who reside in the school planning areas concerned, together with the extent of diversity currently available in these areas, are key to decisions in relation to the outcome of this process. In this regard, the development of a new Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) is currently being finalised by my Department to provide objective information to such parents which will allow them to make an informed choice about their preferred model of patronage and language of instruction for their child’s education. Parental preferences were previously collected based on direct engagement with patron bodies.

My Department will subsequently compile a patronage report for the consideration of the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG), an external independent advisory group which oversees the patronage process, and the NSEG will submit a report with recommendations for my consideration.

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