Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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180. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for the establishment of an Educate Together school in Westport; the steps taken to date to establish the school; and the proposed date for the school to open. [48118/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector recommended that demand for patronage diversity should be met in areas of stable population by divesting patronage of existing schools where there is evidence of parental demand for change.  Following surveys conducted by my Department in areas of stable population, sufficient demand emerged in 28 areas, including the Westport area.  Under this patronage divesting process, ten new schools have opened from 2013 to 2016.

As the Deputy may be aware following discussions on patronage divesting with education stakeholders and patron bodies in 2016, on the 30th January 2017, I announced new plans aimed at providing more multi-denominational and non-denominational schools across the country, in line with the choices of parents, families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment in this area.  I believe that the new schools reconfiguration for diversity process has the potential to significantly increase patron diversity in our school system with a target of reaching 400 multi-denominational and non-denominational schools by 2030.  

In tandem with the implementation of the schools reconfiguration process, my Department is continuing to work with the main stakeholders to progress delivery of diversity in the areas already identified, including Westport.