Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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379. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 715 of 3 November 2020, the progress to date of the programme for Government commitment to expand and prioritise the transfer of viable schools to community national schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8134/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware from the previous Parliamentary Questions on this topic, the Programme for Government commits to expanding and prioritising the transfer of viable schools to Community National Schools, along with achieving a target of at least 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030 to improve parental choice and to working with communities to ensure the provision of clear, non-partisan information in this regard.

The Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process has been developed in order to accelerate the delivery of multi-/non-denominational schools across the country. This Reconfiguration process involves the transfer of existing live schools as opposed to the amalgamation and/or closure model of the patronage divesting process.

My Department officials have been, and are continuing to engage with representatives of the Irish Episcopal Conference with a view to developing an agreed approach to the next Phase of the process.

The “Early Movers” provision of the Schools Reconfiguration Process enables school communities which have already decided to seek a transfer of patronage (independent of the survey process envisaged as part of the Reconfiguration process) to engage with their school patron on the matter. A patron may transfer patronage under section 8 of the Education Act 1998. A number of patronage changes have taken place in recent years in this context, resulting in the provision of an additional 11 Community National Schools.