Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 253: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has sent a letter to all VEC's instructing them not to establish themselves as patron to any primary school, pending her decision on a new model of patronage; the reason just one VEC has been given the go-ahead for such patronage; her timescale for consideration of the concept; the situation regarding the application by Clare VEC which is with her Department for more than one year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12277/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It can happen in a small number of rapidly developing areas that a traditional patron is not readily available. In view of same, I announced on the 17 February 2007, that a new additional model of Primary school patronage would be introduced on a pilot basis at a school to be built in Diswellstown, Co Dublin. This model will provide an additional patronage option and is not intended to serve as a replacement of the existing patron models.

Following on from my recent announcement to introduce a new additional model of primary school patronage on a pilot basis, I have decided as a matter of policy that no vocational education committee (with the exception of the aforementioned pilot community primary school project) shall act as a patron in respect of a primary school or otherwise, establish or maintain a primary school until further notice.

Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred under section 14 of the Vocational Education (Amendment) Act 2001, I have directed VECs not to establish or maintain primary schools and not to seek recognition of primary schools or recognition as Patrons pursuant to the provisions of the Education Act 1998 until further notice or direction. Vocational Education Committees were advised of same by the Department on 7 March 2007.

The Department will begin a process of consultation with the relevant education partners to explore the detailed implementation measures that will be needed to be put in place prior to the opening of the proposed new school.