Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Obviously there are different attitudes in different times. However, I make the point to Deputy Gilmore that a major conference was held by the Minister last year in respect of the question of governance. There is an acknowledgement that we must find governance structures for the future that reflect diversity and which, as the Deputy observed, are founded on the financial and other realities that not every wish can be catered for in this regard. Obviously, one will strive for the common good and seek to provide education in which people's ethos can be respected although, as the Deputy also observed, the patronage model may not be able to accommodate every diverse religious background that may attend a school at any given time, and which may ebb and flow from time to time depending on demographics, age profile, family settlement and so on.

While everyone understands and recognises that this issue is complicated, there is no reluctance on anyone's part to ascertain what is the way forward in this regard. Archbishop Martin has made certain suggestions that are being considered by the Department and by the Minister. The Minister will bring a fully fleshed out proposal to the Cabinet in due course on which it can proceed. However, it will be on the basis of a consultative process that involves everyone and as I stated, that is a question of constructive reflection, rather than one that would provide immediate action or answers. There is an attitudinal and educative aspect to this issue, in that one must prepare for the future by bringing people to understand and see through the ownership of the parents and communities. This already is taking place on foot of the withdrawal of the religious from teaching posts in front line education. Moreover, in respect of the governance and management of schools, boards of management clearly and quite rightly now have far greater lay and parental participation. This is far more holistic, from a community point of view, than might traditionally have been the case in the past. The situation is emerging and evolving and this constitutes a societal and social change that must be managed. Moreover, this must be done on the basis of collaboration and co-operation between the stakeholders in education and society in general, as well as policymakers, in a manner that respects ethos-based education and that seeks to respect those who wish to have available other more diverse models available in a manner that makes fiscal and financial sense.

See this speech in context