Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 60: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if, with reference to her press statement of 17 February 2007 announcing her plans to establish Diswellstown Community National School, it is still her position that no other VEC primary schools will be recognised until the initial pilot school is evaluated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27178/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Historically, the church authorities (mainly Catholic and Church of Ireland) acted as patrons or sponsors of primary schools by initiating the process of establishing a new school when one was needed to serve a specific geographic area. This model of school provision has been incrementally evolving to reflect changes in demand and in the expectations of society, notably the demand for diversity. With these changes, there has been an increase in the number of patron bodies seeking recognition for new schools.

The present model of primary school provision has served the country well. When I announced my intention earlier this year to pilot a new patron model for primary schools, I made it clear that this would provide an additional patronage option and is not intended to serve as a replacement of the existing patron models. The new model will be introduced on a pilot basis in the first instance at a school to be built in Diswellstown, Co Dublin. It is intended that this school will be community-based and will operate within the administrative framework of the County Dublin Vocational Education Committee.

Following my announcement, officials in my Department engaged in consultations with the education partners and the County Dublin Vocational Education Committee to explore the detailed implementation measures that will need to be put in place prior to the opening of the proposed new school. The proposal to pilot the new model has been broadly welcomed by the partners. Pending the completion of the consultation process and the evaluation of the pilot phase, I decided as a matter of policy that no vocational education committee (with the exception of the pilot project within the administrative area of the County Dublin Vocational Education Committee) should act as a patron in respect of a primary school or otherwise establish or maintain a primary school.

I therefore directed all Vocational Education Committees not to establish or maintain a primary school and not to seek recognition of a primary school until further notice from my Department. The purpose of this direction was to ensure that all aspects of the establishment process were given careful consideration before the model was adopted at national level. I was especially anxious to avoid a situation whereby different Vocational Education Committees might inadvertently adopt varying and possibility contradictory approaches to what is a very complex area. Once the pilot phase has been fully evaluated and the various issues that may arise have been identified and resolved, consideration can be given to allowing other Vocational Education Committees to establish community primary schools. In the meantime, my Department will continue with the preparatory work in advance of the establishment phase for the Diswellstown school.