Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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273. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that have undergone a reconfiguration of diversity programme with a breakdown of whether the school remained secular or became non-secular; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7854/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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A number of patronage changes have taken place in recent years, resulting in the provision of an additional 12 multi-denominational community national schools. In addition in 2021, an Irish-medium gaelscoil transferred patronage from its Catholic patron to An Foras Pátrúnachta. This school offers parents of each intake of junior infants the choice of undertaking an Ethics and Morality Programme or a Catholic Programme. Separately another gaelscoil under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta changed to a multi-denominational ethos, on a phased basis from September 2022.

Separately, 12 primary schools have been established under the patronage divesting process, all of which have a multi-denominational ethos.

The Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process, supporting transfers of schools to multi-denominational patrons in response to the wishes of local communities, has been developed in order to accelerate the delivery of multi-denominational schools across the country. Where a school transfers from the patronage of one patron to another, the school remains open with the same roll number and operating from the same school property. All State-funded primary schools follow a common national curriculum and are subject to the same rules and regulations.

In March 2022, I 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 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 ongoing pilot process is engaging with 63 schools in the cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick and the Arklow, Athlone, Dundalk and Youghal areas. 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 my Department in seeking to facilitate a more diverse school patronage in these towns and cities.

The pilot has already facilitated increased diversity with the announcement on 12 January last that a Catholic school in Athlone – Cornamaddy National School, will be transferring patronage from its Catholic patron to Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board, becoming a multi-denominational community national school.

The engagement at local level should be largely concluded in many of the areas by the end of Q1 2023 and this will help clarify the level of demand for reconfiguration in these areas. 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.