Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

The big concern of those to whom I spoke is that those who shout loudest will get what they want and that the views of the silent majority, who are happy with current patronage, will be ignored. I want the Minister to discuss the process we will go through, especially with the 50 communities around the country that have been identified as sites where the Catholic Church will hand over control of primary schools. We need to know to what degree and how every parent and teacher in those communities will be consulted. Will current and future parents be the only ones to be consulted? What about past parents? A community approach needs to be taken on this. These are the questions being put to me. The Minister knows my views on rural schools and that I believe there should be a process whereby people are consulted. That has not happened.

The gradual erosion of rural schools, through the process the Minister is engaged in following budget 2012, looks like it will lead to forced amalgamation in many cases. Is there a patronage agenda behind that process? Currently, the parish is the unit of belonging throughout the country.