Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

As already stated, the Department of Education and Science is currently consulting directly with patrons with regard to specific areas where the establishment of new schools would be required and how emerging demands in these areas would be addressed. As part of this process, we will seek details of any schools where a change of patronage might potentially be relevant. A review of procedures for the establishment of new primary schools is being undertaken by the Commission on School Accommodation. Among the range of issues being considered is that of patronage, including in the context of the criteria that must be met to become a patron and the circumstances where changes to patronage may be warranted. The Department intends to make further contact with Archbishop Martin and other members of the Catholic hierarchy to establish a more detailed assessment of areas in which schools could be identified where there is more school provision than needed by the demand for Catholic education and where existing schools could be used to provide for diversity of parental choice. Two new pilot community schools under VEC patronage are currently being rolled out.

The Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, hosted a major conference on the governance challenges for future primary school needs at the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, in the June of last year. That gathering was aimed a facilitating a high degree of dialogue and interaction on the important issues under consideration. The conference was considered an extremely useful experience in the context of collectively examining the challenges faced in shaping the primary school system to respond to changing societal demands. Archbishop Martin was one of the keynote speakers at the conference.

With regard to the Ryan report, which falls outside the ambit of these questions, it is the intention of the various religious communities to continue to provide educational, health and other services. It is not intended that we should dispose of those services because they are used for the public good. It is not envisaged that we should dispose of them because that would take away from the provision of such services. In light of what emerged from the Ryan report, it would be preferable if they were augmented through the procurement of further support from the congregations in question.

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