School Patronage

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 May 2023

Tuesday, 30 May 2023

Questions (303, 304)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

303. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the schools in which reconfiguration/transfer of patronage of a school is being considered or implemented, by county, in tabular form. [26209/23]

Sorca Clarke

Question:

304. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the schools in which reconfiguration/transfer of patronage has been completed, by county, in tabular form. [26210/23]

Written answers

Minister for Education

I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 and 304 together.

The Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process, supporting transfers of schools to multi-denominational patrons in response to the wishes of local communities, has been developed in order to accelerate the delivery of multi-denominational schools across the country. Where a school transfers from the patronage of one patron to another, the school remains open with the same roll number and operating from the same school property. All State-funded primary schools follow a common national curriculum and are subject to the same rules and regulations. The Reconfiguration process involves the transfer of existing live schools as opposed to the amalgamation and/or closure model of the patronage divesting process.

The “Early Movers” provision of the schools reconfiguration process enables school communities that have already decided to seek a transfer of patronage to engage with their school patron on the matter. A patron may transfer patronage under section 8 of the Education Act 1998. The table below details the patronage changes that have taken place in this context.

Roll no.	School name	County	Patron	Transfer Year
17365L	Two-mile Community National School	Kerry	Kerry ETB	2017
16817P	Brannockstown Community National School	Kildare	Kildare and Wicklow ETB	2018
18391R	Faughart Community National School	Louth	Louth and Meath ETB	2018
13999J	Kilnamanagh Community National School	Waterford	Waterford and Wexford ETB	2019
08147A	Scoil an Ghleanna Pobal Scoil Náisiúnta. (gaelscoil)	Kerry	Kerry ETB	2019
20462D	Galway Community National School	Galway	Galway and Roscommon ETB	2019
20312H	Raheen Wood Community National School	Clare	Limerick and Clare ETB	2019
20313J	Mol an Óige Community National School	Clare	Limerick and Clare ETB	2019
18272J	Lecarrow Community National School	Roscommon	Galway and Roscommon ETB	2019
05348S	Tahilla Community National School	Kerry	Kerry ETB	2019
19582G	Tallaght Community National School	Dublin	Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB	2020
19872P	Scoil Chaitlín Maude (gaelscoil)*	Dublin	An Foras Pátrúnachta	2021
16344V	Nenagh Community National School	Tipperary	Tipperary ETB	2022

* This school offers parents of junior infants the choice of undertaking an Ethics and Morality Program or a Catholic Program

Separate to the schools in the above table (all of which transferred patronage) a gaelscoil under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta [Gaelscoil Moshíológ (20165U)] changed to a multi-denominational ethos, on a phased basis from September 2022 (with all classes due to follow a multi-denominational programme by 2024/25).

Reconfiguration – Pilot

The pilot areas are parts of the cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick and also the Arklow, Athlone, Dundalk and Youghal areas. 63 schools were engaged with as part of the pilot. Two schools, listed in the table below, will be transferring from Catholic patronage to the local Education and Training Board becoming multi-denominational community national schools

Roll No	School Name	County	Patron	Transfer Year
17903N	Cornamaddy NS	Westmeath	Longford and Westmeath ETB	2023
14556D	St Enda's Whitefriars St Dublin	Dublin	City of Dublin ETB	2023

The Department is hopeful that there will be a number of other transfers of patronage and change of ethos to multi-denominational in the short term.

My Department has commenced a review of the reconfiguration process in the pilot areas and the engagement with the school communities to consider the learnings, which should provide a pathway forward on the process for providing multi-denominational options for parents in other towns and areas of the country going forward.

Patronage Divesting areas

12 new multi-denominational schools have been established under the patronage divesting process.

Roll No	School Name	County	Patron	Year Opened
20430N	Canal Way Educate Together NS	Dublin	Educate Together	2013
20444B	Trim Educate Together NS	Meath	Educate Together	2014
20446F	Tramore Educate Together NS	Waterford	Educate Together	2014
20445D	Malahide/Portmarnock	Dublin	Educate Together	2014
09040K	Newtownwhite Educate Together NS*	Mayo	Educate Together	2014
20456I	Tuam Educate Together NS	Galway	Educate Together	2015
20458M	New Ross Educate Together NS	Wexford	Educate Together	2015
20461B	Gaelscoil na Laochra	Offaly	An Foras Pátrúnachta	2015
20494Q	Riverview Educate Together NS	Dublin	Educate Together	2016
20457K	Castlebar Educate Together NS	Mayo	Educate Together	2016
20511N	Fermoy Educate Together NS	Cork	Educate Together	2018
20510L	Westport Educate Together NS	Mayo	Educate Together	2019

*this resulted from a transfer of an existing school from the Church of Ireland

In 2022, there were 166 primary schools with a multi-denominational or inter-denominational ethos. This represents circa. 5% of mainstream primary schools.

To assist school patrons and school communities, the Department has published a guidance pack, setting out some general and practical information relating to transfer of patronage which may be useful for parents/guardians, pupils and school communities and school authorities and staff where transfer of patronage of a school is being considered or implemented. This information pack is available from the schools reconfiguration page of the gov.ie website or by contacting my Department at [e-mail]

Question No. 304 answered with Question No. 303.