Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Following on Deputy Rabbitte's question, there are approximately 3,000 primary schools in the ownership of the church in the Republic and approximately 32 diocesan colleges and there are problems with a number of these. One does not wish to deny the contribution made to education over the years by the church but given the decline in vocations and the problems to which this gives rise, will the ownership of schools be a central issue for discussions with the Catholic Church and, to a lesser extent, the Church of Ireland? Will the matter of the need for a significant increase in the number of multidenominational schools also be discussed, given the growth in interest in such schools in various parts of the country? I am sure the Taoiseach has been lobbied on this issue. Will these topics be central to the discussions with the churches?

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