Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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32. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to remove rule 68 from the school guidelines. [43700/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector was published in April 2012. The Report recommended a review and updating of the Rules for National Schools and in particular, Rule 68.I believe that the language and tone of Rule 68 is archaic and doesn't reflect the reality of today's primary education sector and accordingly this is a recommendation that I accept.

I am currently engaged in a series of meetings with the different education bodies involved in implementing the recommendations of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism. I have already met with the Education and Training Boards, and with representatives of the Catholic Church. I will be meeting with Educate Together next week, and the Church of Ireland immediately after Christmas. After I have concluded those meetings, I will outline a number of actions to advance the recommendations which arose from the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism, and these actions will include the immediate repeal of rule 68.