Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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565. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a similar arrangement has been in place for the other almost one dozen schools nationwide that were reconfigured from Catholic patronage to ETBs; if so, the amount that is being paid to the various dioceses; and if this is the plan for future reconfigurations. [15093/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Ownership and control of school property is a complex issue, both constitutionally and in terms of property law and rights.  Typically, it can involve religious trusts, trustees, religious orders, the bishops both as landowners and school patrons and the State.

Where a school property is in the Minister’s ownership, a leasing arrangement will not arise.

However, for historical reasons, most primary school property is in private ownership (often the Diocesan trust), with the local Bishop as patron.

Where the property owner is not the Minister for Education, lease arrangements between the property owner and new patron will be required and this will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

It is envisaged that this will take into account factors such as that following a transfer of patronage the school premises will continue to be used as a school for the benefit of local children, the property will benefit from continued State investment in the upkeep, maintenance or improvement of the premises and that the property may have benefitted from State capital investment in the past.

The cost of maintaining buildings insurance on the property by the owner will also be factored in.

In respect of the transfers of patronage which have already taken place, the rental amounts would have been agreed as part of discussions on the leasing arrangements.  This would have been agreed on an individual basis, prior to the arrangements in the pilot areas being put in place, and would have taken into account local circumstances.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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566. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason that the State agreed to allow the bishop in the relevant dioceses to choose which body becomes the patron of a reconfigured school; and the position in relation to parental choice. [15094/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware I recently announced that arrangements are being put in place in a number of towns and areas of cities that have no multi-denominational primary schools to identify potential schools and to engage with school authorities, school staff and the school communities with a view to agreeing on a transfer of patronage and change of ethos, where there is sufficient demand for this.

The Council for Education of the Irish Episcopal Conference (representing the Catholic patrons) and relevant Bishops have confirmed their willingness to engage and co-operate fully with the Department in seeking to facilitate a more diverse school patronage in these towns and cities. The pilot areas are:

*parts of these cities

As part of this process, the facilitator in each area, along with the relevant patron/patron representative will review data on the schools in the area and will engage directly with the relevant school authorities to progress the initiative at a local level. The process will be shaped by the stage (if any) of consideration of reconfiguration in the area concerned and whether any schools have already been identified or have opted-in at this point.

The voice of the parent and school community is important in the context of a decision to change to a multi-denominational ethos. 

Government policy as set out in the Programme for Government is to:

- “Achieve the target of at least 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030, to improve parental choice”;

- “Expand and prioritise the transfer of viable schools to Community National Schools”;

- ”Work with communities to ensure the provision of clear, non-partisan information on the preparation for, and the consequences of, the divestment process and to respond to queries raised.”

Prospective patrons may include existing multi-denominational providers such as the Education and Training Boards, An Foras Pátrúnachta and Educate Together.