Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

I accept that greater diversity has come in and there are areas in which such diversity must be and will be recognised. The case in question has attracted criticism from Educate Together for instance. However, that body was awarded the patronage of two schools out of seven. While Educate Together has been highly critical on this occasion, I refer back to 2008, when patronage was issued in respect of 25 schools. On that occasion Educate Together was awarded the patronage of 12 schools. This time, in the circumstances that presented themselves, Educate Together deservedly was awarded the patronage of two schools. However, I also had made clear, in respect of the pilot VEC national school project, that I sought the rolling out of others in different locations and environments with different school mixes to ascertain how the pilot might work.

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