Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I can, but I did not want to mislead the House. I apologise for the replication in my notes.

The question refers to ensuring that all children have access to primary school places in September. I have outlined the issues concerning school planning, area development plans, the NDP, the provision of money and ensuring diversity in education.

The procedure to establish new schools involves notification by prospective patrons to the schools commission. Deputy Naughten will be interested to note that in recent years the majority of new schools established have been multidenominational. Some two thirds of schools established have been Educate Together or multidenominational. In the current school year — the question refers to 2008 — there are 38 notified applications to establish new schools. Of these, 21 are for multidenominational, English-medium schools, one is an interdenominational Catholic-Protestant gaelscoil and one is an interdenominational Church of Ireland-Anglican English-medium school. These applications demonstrate a move not only to provide places but to ensure that the needs of non-Catholic students are accommodated.

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