Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government contains a commitment to expand the plurality of our schools to reflect the full breadth of society and improve parental choice. Among the commitments are: to achieve the target of at least 400 multidenominational primary schools by 2030 in order to improve parental choice; to expand and prioritise the transfer of viable schools to community national schools; and to work with communities to ensure the provision of clear, non-partisan information on the preparation for, and consequences of, the divestment process and to respond to queries raised.

In recent years, there has been considerable progress towards increasing the number of multidenominational schools, with 52 of the 53 new primary schools and 44 of the 50 new post-primary schools established since 2011 having a multidenominational ethos. A number of patronage transfers have taken place in recent years, resulting in the provision of an additional 12 multidenominational community national schools. In addition, a Gaelscoil in Dublin transferred patronage from its Catholic patron to An Foras Pátrúnachta in 2021. This school offers parents of junior infants the choice of undertaking an ethics and morality programme or a Catholic programme. Separately, a Gaelscoil in Gorey under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta changed to a multidenominational ethos on a phased basis from September 2022. Twelve primary schools have been established under the patronage divesting process, all of which have a multidenominational ethos. In two of the patronage divesting areas, the demographics increased sufficiently to warrant the establishment of new schools outside of the divesting process and new multidenominational schools have been established. While the focus of the Department is on progressing the schools reconfiguration process, the Department is continuing its efforts to identify suitable solutions in the remaining patronage divesting areas.

In 2022, there were 166 primary schools with a multidenominational or interdenominational ethos. In March 2022, I announced that arrangements were being put in place in a number of towns and areas of cities that had no multidenominational primary schools to identify potential schools and engage with their school managements, staff and school communities with a view to identifying demand for a transfer of patronage. The pilot areas were across the cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick and also Arklow, Athlone, Dundalk and Youghal. The council for education of the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference and the relevant bishops confirmed their willingness to engage and co-operate with the Department. The engagement at local level across the seven pilot areas was largely concluded at the end of quarter 1 of 2023. Two schools - one in Athlone and another in Dublin - will be transferring from Catholic patronage to the local education and training boards, ETBs, becoming multidenominational community national schools for the 2023-24 school year.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

The Department is hopeful that there will be a number of other transfers of patronage and change of ethos to multidenominational in the short term.

My Department is reviewing the pilot and considering the lessons and the process for providing multidenominational options for parents in other areas of the country. It is envisaged that the review will be undertaken over the course of the summer and, following consultation with relevant stakeholders, will be finalised and published in the autumn. The review will include any lessons from the process and outline a strategy and framework for delivering on the Government commitment to increase multidenominational provision.

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