Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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118. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has undertaken a review of the manner in which schools with religious patrons have delivered on the obligations to children for whom it has been indicated that they do not wish to participate in religious arrangements; and if she is considering issuing guidelines on the matter. [26888/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Under Article 44 of the Constitution and in accordance with Section 30 of the Education Act, 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of religious instruction classes if they so wish. It is expected that this right will be upheld by schools on foot of a parental request.

Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, where schools provide religious instruction, they must clearly set out in their admission policies the school’s arrangements for students, where the parent or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, has requested that the student attend the school without attending religious instruction in the school.

The manner in which any school ensures that the right to opt out of religion classes is upheld is a matter for the school concerned. Each individual school must determine the particular arrangements which are most appropriate in its individual circumstances having regard to local issues such as available space, supervision requirements and how the school concerned organises classes etc.

The right of parents to have their child opt out of religion classes applies in all schools regardless of the denomination or ethos of the school concerned.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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119. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she plans to initiate a programme of transfer of patronage at second level in areas in which there is substantial demand for non-denominational patronage, but no schools are serving that need. [26889/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware the Department establishes and supports new schools, including post-primary schools, where a demographic need for a new school has been identified.

Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, depending on the circumstances, be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following:

- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools

- Extending the capacity of a school or schools

- Provision of a new school or schools.

The requirement for additional school places is kept under on-going review and work on an updated exercise to assess needs for the coming years is underway. An Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) has been developed to provide objective information to all parents and guardians which allows them to make an informed choice in expressing a preference for their preferred model of patronage of a new school. The assessment process also includes an analysis of existing provision in the area and the adjacent school planning areas. At present, nationally circa. 50% of post-primary schools have either a multi-denominational or inter-denominational ethos.

It is possible for any school, including a post-primary school, to transfer patronage, if the school patron so wishes. A school patron may engage with another patron, including a multi-denominational patron with a view to transferring patronage of its school, and may write to the Minister for Education to request a transfer of patronage under Section 8 of the Education Act 1998 of a school under its patronage.

School communities who wish to explore the potential to transfer patronage should contact their school patron in the first instance.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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120. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the authority, the budget and the mandate of the facilitators who seek to achieve the transfer of patronage in eight pilot areas; if their new role has taken learnings from the previous initiative by the education and training boards which have had limited success; the form that the consultation with parents will take in the eight areas; and the way that parents will be chosen for participation. [26890/22]

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 engagement has involved reviewing learnings to date and developing agreed arrangements to explore reconfiguration opportunities in these areas as part of a pilot arrangement, as follows:

*parts of these cities

To facilitate the pilot, the Department has made available a number of independent facilitators across the pilot areas to work with the school patron and relevant school authorities at a local level:

- to progress the reconfiguration pilot initiative;

- to assist in identifying potential school(s) in this regard; and

- to engage with stakeholders including school authorities, school staff and the school community

with a view to agreeing on a transfer of patronage and change of ethos, where there is sufficient demand for this in the pilot areas.

As part of this process, in each area the facilitator appointed by the Department, 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 facilitators will be paid at standard per diem rates approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for engagement of retired civil servants. Standard civil service travel and subsistence rates will also apply. Accordingly, the overall cost will depend on factors such as the number of schools being engaged with in a pilot area, the number of meetings required and the location of same, and the level of preparation work required.

Administrative support for the facilitators will be provided by Departmental staff from within existing resources.

The learnings from the process in the pilot areas should provide a pathway forward on the process for providing multi-denominational options for parents in other towns and areas of the country going forward.