Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 333: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her proposals to provide for integrated education in an area like Dublin 15 in view of the growing numbers of children seeking school places and the fact that many of these children or their parents come from different countries; her views on whether it is satisfactory that there are a number of schools in the Dublin 15 area and other areas where the majority of pupils are international in origin and background; her proposals to provide for the integration of children of diverse background, ethnicity and nationality at both primary and secondary level; if she has review mechanisms in place to examine the sensitive issue of integration and ethos; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35927/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In order to provide greater choice and to cater for the requirements of an increasingly pluralist society, my Department is developing a new model of primary school patronage which will cater for the diversity of religious faiths represented in growing urban areas. It is also intended to cater for the wishes of parents who do not wish to have their children follow a programme of religious instruction. This new model of community primary school will be piloted next year in Dublin under the patronage of Co. Dublin VEC. Consultations have taken place with all of the education partners in the context of the development of this new model of patronage and many of the issues mentioned by the Deputy have arisen in the course of these consultations.

I accept that providing sufficient pupil places in all rapidly developing areas, including those with large immigrant communities, is absolutely vital to ensuring that enrolment policies do not lead to the exclusion of any child on religious or ethnic grounds and to this end, the Government is committed to substantially increasing the level of school accommodation in rapidly developing areas under the €4.5 billion school building programme included in the National Development Plan.

The Government is also committed to integration as set out in the National Action Plan against Racism and it is the policy of my Department to ensure there is no discrimination in the provision of education in this country.