Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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272. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the safeguards that he is proposing to allow a school to determine and preserve its ethos, specifically given the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21060/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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It is the patron body of a school who determines the ethos or characteristic spirit of the school.

The recently published Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 does not propose any changes to the existing provisions in the Education Act which relate to the ethos or characteristic spirit of a school. However, the Admissions Bill introduces a new requirement for a school to set out the characteristic spirit and general objectives of the school in their admission policy.

Section 9 of the Education Act provides that a recognised school shall use its available resources to promote the moral, spiritual, social and personal development of students and provide health education for them, in consultation with their parents, having regard to the characteristic spirit of the school.

Section 15 of the Education Act provides that a board of management shall uphold, and be accountable to the patron for so upholding, the characteristic spirit of the school as determined by the cultural, educational, moral, religious, social, linguistic and spiritual values and traditions which inform and are characteristic of the objectives and conduct of the school, and at all times act in accordance with any Act of the Oireachtas or instrument made thereunder, deed, charter, articles of management or other such instrument relating to the establishment or operation of the school.

In relation to the Equal Status Act, the Admissions Bill does not propose any changes to section 7(3)(c) of the Equal Status Act. Section 7(3)(c) provides that an educational establishment does not discriminate where the establishment is a school providing primary or post-primary education to students and the objective of the school is to provide education in an environment which promotes certain religious values, it admits persons of a particular religious denomination in preference to others or it refuses to admit as a student a person who is not of that denomination and, in the case of a refusal, it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills, is to consider the complex issues raised by the Labour Party's proposed amendment to section 7(3)(c) of the Equal Status Act as set out in their recently published Private Members Bill. The Government proposed and the Dáil agreed that this Bill proceed to second stage after these hearings are held.