Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 June 2018
314. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 313 of 7 November 2017, the status of his plans to establish an Educate Together school in Leixlip; his further plans to establish more Educate Together schools in north and south County Kildare, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24399/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, I have announced new plans aimed at accelerating the provision of multi-denominational and non-denominational schools across the country, in line with the choices of parents, families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment to reach 400 such schools by 2030.
I would point out that the previous model of patronage divestment yielded only a very limited number of schools for transfer to multi-denominational patrons (10 since 2013). I believe that the new schools reconfiguration for diversity process has the potential to significantly increase patron diversity in our school system.
While these new structures are being introduced, my Department will continue to work with the main stakeholders to progress delivery of diversity in areas already identified, including Leixlip.
As the Deputy will be aware, I recently announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022), including:
- a new 8-classroom primary school to be established in 2019 to serve the Leixlip school planning area.
- a new 8-classroom primary school to be established in 2019 to serve the Maynooth school planning area.
- a new 8-classrooms primary school to be established in 2021 to serve the Naas school planning area.
This announcement follows nationwide demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the country and the 4-year horizon will enable increased lead-in times for planning and delivery of the necessary infrastructure.
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.
