Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The census revealed a sharp drop in the proportion of the population who view themselves as Catholic. Between 2016 and 2022, it fell from 79% to 69%. There was also a 62% increase in the number who said they had no religion. We all know people who kind of go along with it and baptise their children to get them into a particular school or so they are not left out of communion; the figures are probably higher than what was in the census. Despite this, nearly 90% of primary schools remain Roman Catholic. People should not be forced to go to a school with an ethos in which they do not believe because of a shortage of multidenominational schools. However, this does happen because of the failure of the school divestment programme. Some 400 schools were supposed to become multidenominational by 2030 but, to date, only 14 have. Last year, just one school divested. The divestment programme, it is safe to say, is not working. The near-monopoly control of the Catholic Church in primary schools is like something from another era. It cannot be allowed to continue. Will the Government conduct a review of the divestment programme as a matter of urgency?

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