Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 186: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has asked the review of school patronage and diversity to consider potential issues concerning educational attainment in the course of its work. [22000/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I announced my intention to establish a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector on 28th March, 2011. An Advisory Group, under the Chairmanship of Professor John Coolahan, is overseeing the work of the Forum.

The terms of reference of the Forum are very specific. They 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.

In undertaking this work the Forum will, in particular, have regard for the following:

the expressed willingness of the Roman Catholic Church to consider divesting patronage of primary schools

the current financial constraints within which the State is operating, the need for continued restraint into the future and the requirement in this context to make maximum use of existing school infrastructure in catering for future demands. The Advisory Group which is independent of the Department will prepare a final report, based on the above terms of reference, and this will be submitted to me by the end of the year.