Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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52. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has satisfied himself with the processes in place to determine patronage of new schools, particularly in areas with religious and cultural diversity in the population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2005/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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When it is decided following demographic analyses by my Department that a new school is required to meet demographic needs, my Department runs a separate patronage process to decide who will operate the school. The criteria used in relation to patronage of the new school place particular emphasis on parental demand for plurality and diversity of patronage, with parental preferences from the area to be served being central to the process. In this regard, as part of their application under the process, patrons and prospective patrons must collect and demonstrate evidence of parental demand from the area to be served for the model of provision proposed and also parental preferences for Irish-medium or English-medium education.

An external independent advisory group, the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG), oversees the patronage process.  Following their consideration of the Department assessment reports, the NSEG submit a report with recommendations to me for consideration and final decision.  The assessment reports and the NSEG recommendations for all such patronage processes are available on my Department's website.

The outcome from the recent patronage process for the nine new post-primary schools due to open in 2017 and 2018 was announced in November of last year.  In this regard, eight of the nine schools will operate a multi-denominational ethos.  The outcome of this process has also resulted in the inclusion of a new player at post-primary level further increasing diversity of provision in the post-primary school system.

Given the emphasis on parental preferences, along with an analysis of the extent of diversity already provided in the area, and oversight by the independent group, I am satisfied that the needs and preferences of parents in the areas which the school is set up to serve is being taken into account in the patronage processes.  In its report to me as part of the patronage process for the nine post-primary schools, the NSEG recommended that consideration be given to an examination of other options for a more effective and efficient means of disseminating information to parents and of collecting parental preferences and my Department is undertaking exploratory work in this regard.

The patronage process for the four new primary schools due to open in 2017 and 2018 is currently underway and I expect to announce the outcome in February.