Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 March 2021
563. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education the procedure for the divestment of schools under Roman Catholic patronage to new school patronages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16375/21]
View answer564. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education if there is a national framework for the divestment of schools under Roman Catholic patronage to other patronages to enhance diversity of choice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16376/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 563 and 564 together.
The Programme for Government commits to achieving a target of at least 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030 to improve parental choice.
The Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process, supporting transfers of schools to multi-denominational patrons in response to the wishes of local families, has been developed in order to accelerate the delivery of multi-/non-denominational schools across the country. This Reconfiguration process involves the transfer of existing live schools as opposed to the amalgamation and/or closure model of the patronage divesting process.
The initial identification phase of the process involved each of the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETB) identifying an initial pilot area within their functional area where they considered there may be unmet oncoming demand for a multi-/non-denominational school and arranging for surveys of parents of pre-school children in these areas.
My Department officials have been engaging with representatives of the Irish Episcopal Conference with a view to developing an agreed approach to the next Phase of the process. The identification phase work provides useful learning and is informing the development of the process.
The “Early Movers” provision of the Schools Reconfiguration process enables school communities which have already decided to seek a transfer of patronage (independent of the survey process envisaged as part of the Reconfiguration process) to engage with their school patron on the matter. A patron may transfer patronage under section 8 of the Education Act 1998. A number of patronage changes, including seven involving Catholic patrons, have taken place in recent years in this context, resulting in the provision of an additional 11 multi-denominational Community National Schools. School communities who wish to explore the potential to transfer patronage should contact their school patron in the first instance.
In parallel with the Reconfiguration process, my Department is continuing to work with stakeholders to progress delivery of diversity in areas already identified as part of the 2012 and 2013 patronage divesting process surveys. 12 schools have been established under this process, all of which have a multi-denominational ethos.
