Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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1327. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has commissioned a white paper on divestment of patronage in schools; the persons tasked to draft this paper; the date on which it will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33698/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Report of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector made a series of recommendations on divesting school patronage. The Report recommended that, in areas of stable population, where there is evidence of demand for different types of patronage, this demand could be met by divesting patronage of existing schools.

A follow-up paper to the Forum Report, entitled "Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Progress to Date and Future Directions" was published on 1 July 2014. The paper gives an update on the progress made to date on implementing the Forum's recommendations including divesting of patronage.

As part of the implementation of these recommendations, surveys of parental preferences in 43 areas were undertaken and sufficient parental demand for a wider choice of school patron emerged in 28 of the areas. The demand demonstrated was for English medium multidenominational education in 27 of these areas, while one area demonstrated demand for an Irish-language national school (35 of the 43 areas surveyed already have a Gaelscoil option available).

Five new primary schools have opened so far under the patronage divestment process. All five schools are operating under the patronage of Educate Together.