Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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545. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current policy in respect of diversity in school patronage; and the steps she will take to ensure the demand from parents for multidenominational and non-denominational education will be met in the short term and in the medium term, given the high level of dissatisfaction with the limited options available in many areas at present. [40716/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government gives a commitment to move towards a more pluralist system of patronage for our schools. In this context, the government established a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector. The Forum advised on how the education system can provide a sufficiently diverse number and range of primary schools catering for all religions and none and also advised on the practicalities of transferring/divesting patronage for individual primary schools where it is appropriate and necessary. Arising from the work of the Forum, eight new primary schools have opened under the patronage divesting process and work is continuing to advance choices in other identified areas. I am engaging with the Catholic bishops in order to re-invigorate the patronage divestment process.

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 schools have opened (24 primary and 18 post-primary). 39 of these schools have a multi-denominational ethos.