Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

To pursue this issue further, both Archbishop Martin and the Taoiseach have acknowledged that 93% of primary schools are under the patronage of the Catholic church. In practice, the manner in which this operates is that in large parts of the country, the only available primary school within walking, cycling or reasonable travel distance in a locality is a school that is under Catholic patronage. However, there are increasing numbers of people of different nominations in every part of the country. Up to now, what has happened in practice is that those of a different denomination send their children to the Catholic school, with which there is an arrangement that such children do not attend religious instruction. While there is a Catholic ethos and so on in the school, in many cases it is not really in one's face and most parents have operated along such lines.

However, society is changing and it appears as though people of denominations other than Catholicism have, to an increasing extent, been demanding their own school. Is it practical or possible to provide a school of every denomination within reach of everyone who wishes to attend such a school in every part of the country? Moreover, other people will state that although they are of a particular faith, they want their children to be educated with children of all faiths in a multidenominational environment that promotes tolerance and everything that goes with it. The State must face up to this issue very soon because it is manifestly clear that the State will not be able to afford to provide a school of every denomination in every part the country, as well as providing multidenominational schools, gaelscoileanna and schools of different character in different parts of the country. It is perfectly clear that we will not be able to afford to do this.

The problem is how one squares that reality with parents' constitutional right to have their children educated. My suggestion to the Taoiseach is that before everyone is put behind the eight ball in this regard by a decision emerging from the courts, which may have the consequence of obliging us to provide everything everywhere, it seems sensible to take up the suggestion made by Archbishop Martin and to address this matter through a forum and to find a formula that is reasonable and which meets the requirements of today's Ireland. I have told the Taoiseach in the House previously that Archbishop Martin appears to be far ahead of the Government in his thinking in this regard. He rightly makes the point that the patronage rate of 93% that is enjoyed by the Catholic church at present is not sustainable in today's changed Ireland. The Government should deal with this matter with much greater urgency than its present drip, drip basis, particularly on foot of the highly generous offer made by Archbishop Martin. There was a time when Catholic archbishops of Dublin were not quite as generous in such matters as has been Archbishop Martin, or indeed as open to discussion and negotiation with the State on this issue as he is. I would take the opportunity while it is available.

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