Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating me in raising this matter, which concerns enabling the Educate Together movement to be recognised as a patron to operate a secondary school in this country. I will give some context. We have 3,300 primary schools catering for a population of approximately 486,000 pupils. The Central Statistics Office estimates that figure will grow to anywhere between 500,000 and 650,000, depending on projections between now and 2025. We have a growing population that does not leave school when it reaches sixth class at 12 years old.

There is a demand among the 56 schools currently operated by Educate Together to be allowed continue that ethos into the secondary level. This ethos is basically a multi-denominational setting within which parents of all faiths — some are secular, humanist or would profess to have no faith in the traditional sense — would like their children to be brought up in tolerance and harmony with each other and with a mutual respect for the diversity of views that now represents multicultural Ireland.

In the greater Dublin area there are approximately 28 Educate Together schools, just over half the total of 56 around the country. The catchment area for a secondary school is much wider than that of a primary school and if located on a transport route, the catchment area can be extended further. The Department has consistently refused to recognise the Educate Together movement, which currently operates 56 primary schools and is the fastest-growing patron in that sector, as a patron for second level. No proper explanation has been given, although it has been indicated that educational policy is under review in some way.

Nevertheless there is a contradiction in north County Dublin where two primary schools have opened and are operating under the aegis of the VECs, which have no legal status as patrons of a primary school. I am grateful for the Minister of State's presence, although I do not believe he is attached to the Department of Education and Science. I have been trying to discover why it is that the Department of Education and Science will tolerate the operation of a primary school by a body, recognised as a patron in the secondary sector but which does not have the legal status to be a patron in the primary sector, while refusing to grant patron status to a clearly successful and growing body in multicultural Ireland. It does not make sense. They currently have 56 primary schools and, on foot of demand from parents and pupils, they want to have a secondary school to continue the ethos into which they have been educated at primary level.

We need more post-primary schools. In different parts of the urbanising population, as noted in county development and local area plans, there are designated areas for a post-primary school. Decisions have yet to be made as to what form of patron will be in that school. The Catholic church, which was the traditional patron in post-primary schools, is in retreat in that area. They want to maintain their own ethos and under our Constitution they are perfectly entitled to do so.

Approximately 50% of the post-primary schools in our country are in the VEC, community college or community comprehensive sector. We have professed in this country a commitment to a diversity of provision in education that is embodied in our Constitution. All that the Educate Together movement is asking is to be treated equally with other providers of post-primary education. Its track record is proven and it provides a service. It cannot cope with the demand for places coming from parents who no longer necessarily want to bring their children up in the traditional religion in which they were brought up. They may want diversity of exposure, even if they adhere to their own religious convictions or have converted to other religious convictions. They want, uniquely, to have their children brought up in a culture that respects and tolerates all faiths on an equal basis. For that reason, they are seeking to have this introduced to the secondary level and the Educate Together movement is seeking to be formally recognised as a patron by the Department of Education and Science.

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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My responsibilities in education are purely with regard to special educational needs.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I thought so.

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am just making that clear. I will seek responses to the questions asked by the Deputy and get them back to him.

I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the House the current issues surrounding recognition and patronage in general and the position regarding the request from Educate Together to become a patron of second level schools in particular.

The Department is currently examining the application from Educate Together in the context of second level education, the Education Act and the Department of Education and Science regulations on patronage at second level. Section 6 of the Education Act 1998 sets out the objectives of the Act, one of which is "to promote the right of parents to send their children to a school of the parents' choice having regard to the rights of patrons and the effective and efficient use of resources". The Act also sets out the functions of the Minister. Section 7(4) states, "In carrying out his or her functions, the Minister shall have regard to the resources available and the need to reflect the diversity of educational services provided in the State."

In recent times, the rapid pace of social and demographic change in Ireland is reflected in a radically altered and more diverse society from which our school communities are drawn. Added to this, it is expected that enrolments at second level will increase significantly from the 2007 enrolment of 335,126 pupils. As the Deputy will be aware, a new model of primary school patronage is currently being piloted in response to changing societal circumstances. The pilot primary community schools, which opened in September 2008 and which come under the patronage of County Dublin VEC, aim to provide education for diverse denominational groups, reflecting parental choice and based on an ethos of inclusion and respect for children of all faiths and none. This new primary model provides a valuable new option in ensuring that our school system is responsive to parental choice.

In ensuring that the range of patronage models, new and existing, collectively achieve this, it is important to build on ongoing dialogue with the education partners in encouraging a wider public discussion of the issues involved. In this context, the Minister recently announced a review of the procedures for the establishment of new primary schools under the Commission on School Accommodation. He has established a technical working group under the commission to undertake a full review of the criteria and procedures for the recognition of new primary schools. This working group has commenced its work and will report to the steering group under the Commission on School Accommodation. It is expected that the review of procedures for recognising primary schools will be completed and that revised arrangements will be in place within a two-year timeframe.

In the interim, it is not proposed to recognise any new schools, except in areas where the increases in pupil numbers cannot be catered for in existing schools and require the provision of new schools. This means that new schools will not be established for reasons not related to demographic growth in areas where there is already sufficient school accommodation or where increases can be catered for by extending existing school accommodation. It is proposed that locations where new schools are required for the coming years will be identified by the Department of Education and Science and the details will be circulated to all existing patron bodies.

In light of our increasing student population and moves towards diversity in education it is also timely to examine the broad issues of patronage at second level. The Department is, therefore, considering a number of issues relating to the recognition process for second level schools. The application from Educate Together to become a patron body at second level will be considered within this context.

I will ask the Department to correspond directly with Deputy Quinn in respect of the specific matters he raised.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State.