Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A school can only refuse where it is essential to maintain its ethos. It would have to establish it was essential to retain the ethos and it is not an option where a school just decides it does not want a child of a particular religion. Its only defence would be where it was essential to refuse to maintain the ethos, or if refuses to admit a student who is not of that denomination and, in the case of a refusal, it is proved the refusal was essential to maintain the ethos of the school. We are coming back with new provisions.