It is a long-standing feature of our education system that patronage of Catholic schools in a diocese rests ex officio with the person who is Bishop of that diocese at any particular point in time. Accordingly, it is the case that such patrons have other roles in the context of their church functions. The governance structure of our schools is such that, in accordance with the Education Act 1998, the patron of a school does not have a direct role in the day to day management of the school which is a matter for the Board of Management.
The Act provides, inter alia, that it is the duty of the Board to manage the school on behalf of the patron, for the benefit of the students and their parents and to provide or cause to be provided an appropriate education for each student at the school. In addition, under the Act, each Board of Management, in carrying out its functions, is required to do so in accordance with the policies determined by the Minister.