Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he proposes to continue with proposals to provide a role for vocational education committees in the provision of primary education. [6630/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to consider further the role of vocational education committees in the provision of primary education in the light of the outcome of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector and other factors.

As the Deputy will be aware, I have announced the establishment of a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector which I will formally launch on 19 April. The terms of reference of the Forum are to advise me on: 1. how it can best be ensured that the education system can provide a sufficiently diverse number and range of primary schools catering for all religions and none; 2. the practicalities of how transfer/divesting of patronage should operate for individual primary schools in communities where it is appropriate and necessary; 3. how such transfer/divesting can be advanced to ensure that demands for diversity of patronage (including from an Irish language perspective) can be identified and met on a widespread basis nationally.

I have appointed an Advisory Group to convene the Forum, to receive and distil the various views and perspectives of participants and to then provide me with policy advice having regard to the Terms of Reference. The Advisory Group will conduct a number of meetings in public and will seek submissions from the public as part of its work. The work of the Forum will begin on 19th April and is expected to conclude before the end of this year.

The Forum for Patronage and Pluralism in the primary sector is a key education objective of the Programme for a National Government 2011-2016. It will provide a platform for what I believe is an essential debate within the education sector and I believe that it is appropriate to consider the role of VECs in primary education following this work.