Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 17 Apr 1996

Vol. 464 No. 1

Written Answers. - Religious Ethos in Schools.

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

84 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education if she intends to introduce legislative provisions which will give patrons of denominational schools the right in law to remove teachers from posts on the grounds of religious denomination. [7778/96]

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

85 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education if she intends to introduce legislative provisions which will give patrons of a school the legal power to remove members of school boards of management or to dissolve boards of management if they are deemed to be in serious breach of the ethos of the schools in question. [7779/96]

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

86 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education if she intends to introduce legislative provisions which will give patrons of denominational school the right in law to hire persons of their own denomination only. [7780/96]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

As the Deputy is aware, the draft legislation in relation to education boards and boards of management has not yet been published. The overall policy framework for this legislation, including the constitutional framework within which the legislation must be framed, is clearly set out in the White Paper, Charting our Education Future. I know the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment in detail, at this stage, on draft legislation which is currently being prepared by the parliamentary draftsman. However, I would like to restate the policy context for this legislation, set out in the White Paper.

I can confirm that I have no plans to introduce legislative provisions which will give the patrons of denominational schools the right in law to remove teachers from posts on the grounds of religious denomination. As set out in the White Paper, my aim in bringing forward legislation is to ensure that, in so far as the denominational character of a school impacts on the staffing of the school, it will do so only in a reasonable and proportionate way which is objectively necessary for the protection of the ethos of the school.

As regards boards of management, the White Paper points out that each board will be responsible for promoting and protecting the ethos of the school, while striking a balance between the rights of parents and students who subscribe to that ethos and those who do not. The White Paper also proposes that a patron may for stated reasons dissolve a board of management with the approval of the Minister for Education if, among other things, the board acts in a way which would be a threat to, or a dimunition of, the ethos of the school.

The White Paper states that the objective of selection procedures for the appointment of teaching staff in schools will be to ensure the integrity of the process and the selection of most suitable teachers. I can confirm that the legislation will aim to protect the rights of teachers and other school staff to earn a livelihood free from arbitrary discrimination on grounds of religion.

The legislation which I propose to bring before the Oireachtas will give practical effect to these White Paper proposals in a manner which will strike a fair and reasonable balance between the rights and obligations of all concerned, in particular the rights of parents to send their children to schools which have a particular ethos, the rights of patrons of schools to promote and protect that ethos and the rights of parents, students and teachers who do not subscribe to that ethos.