Ms Deirdre Matthews:

With regard to clustering, the patron has more control over that than the Department. It is the patron who can decide whether the school closes or changes whatever function it serves. The Department would probably be interested in talking further to the IPPN and listening to what it has to say about a pilot. However, as Deputy O'Brien said, it is a local issue and the patronage is a major issue. However, many of these small schools belong to the same patron. The schools belong to the patron, so the patron would have to agree to doing it in the first instance.