Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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944. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views regrading the lack of secular, multi-faith, non-faith primary and post-primary schools in the Dún Laoghaire constituency; that the supply of primary and secondary schools is sufficient to meet the increased demand for children from non-Catholic families; if she will consider supplying funding to Educate Together to similar groups for the purpose of providing new schools in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37584/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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New schools are established to meet demographic need. In the past ten years the total pupil enrolment in first and second level schools has risen by almost 100,000 pupils. Enrolment levels are still rising annually at both levels and are projected to rise by some 44,000 pupils in 2018/19 compared with current levels. This level of increase has meant that the available financial resources have to be prioritised towards ensuring that every child has access to a physical school place. It is simply not practical for every student to be provided with access to a place in a school operated by a patron of their choice. The new school establishment arrangements introduced in 2011 place a strong emphasis on parental choice. In any area identified as requiring a new school it is open to all patron/prospective patron bodies to make application for patronage under the patronage determination process. Since 2011, 42 new school have opened (24 primary and 18 post-primary). 39 of these schools have a multi-denominational ethos.

The Programme for Government gives a commitment to move towards a more pluralist system of patronage for our schools. In this context, 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. One of the outcomes of the Forum was the initiation of a school patronage divesting process at primary level. This process has the aim of creating greater choice for parents in areas of stable population growth by re-configuring existing provision where there is not a demographic need for new school provision. To date, eight new primary schools have opened (seven of which are under the patronage of Educate Together) and work is continuing to advance choices in the other identified areas. However, more needs to be done. I intend to reinvigorate the process to speed up divestment and to that end, I will be arranging to meet with the Catholic Bishops and with the other patrons in the coming period.