Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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943. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 589 of 20 October 2015, and noting that the religious values exception to the Act applies to more than 96% of schools, her views that this is appropriate in a State-funded school system; and the steps she proposes to take to deal with unbaptised children to ensure that their second-class status under this legislation is dealt with. [37578/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I fully support the Programme for Government commitment to move towards a more pluralist system of patronage for our schools. The Deputy will be aware that a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector was established to look at how schools could cater for diversity and ensure an inclusive environment for all their pupils. Work is continuing on implementing the Action Plan arising from this Forum, including advancing the patronage divesting process.

In addition to divesting, in those areas where there is a demographic need for new schools, the arrangements introduced in 2011 place a strong emphasis on parental choice. Furthermore, the patronage determination process for new schools requires prospective patrons to commit to enrolling pupils from the area to be served by the new school.

Under the Equal Status Act, 2000 schools are not permitted to discriminate against an applicant for admission on any of the grounds set out in the Act. However, the Act makes provision for exemptions to apply in the case of single sex schools and in the case of schools where the objective is to provide education in an environment that promotes certain religious values.

As outlined in my reply to P.Q. No. 589, the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill, does not propose changes to the existing equality legislation. However, the Bill provides that every recognised school shall explicitly state in its admission policy that it will not discriminate against an applicant for admission on the grounds of disability, special educational needs, sexual orientation, family status, membership of the traveller community, race, civil status, gender or religion while including provision for single sex schools and denominational schools to reflect, in their admission policy, the exemptions applicable to such schools under equality legislation.

The Bill also requires schools to publish an enrolment policy which will include details of the school's arrangements for students who do not want to attend religious instruction.