Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

303. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the schools in which reconfiguration/transfer of patronage of a school is being considered or implemented, by county, in tabular form. [26209/23]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

304. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the schools in which reconfiguration/transfer of patronage has been completed, by county, in tabular form. [26210/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 and 304 together.

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. The Reconfiguration process involves the transfer of existing live schools as opposed to the amalgamation and/or closure model of the patronage divesting process.

The “Early Movers” provision of the schools reconfiguration process enables school communities that have already decided to seek a transfer of patronage to engage with their school patron on the matter. A patron may transfer patronage under section 8 of the Education Act 1998. The table below details the patronage changes that have taken place in this context.

*This school offers parents of junior infants the choice of undertaking an Ethics and Morality Program or a Catholic Program

Separate to the schools in the above table (all of which transferred patronage) a gaelscoil under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta [Gaelscoil Moshíológ (20165U)] changed to a multi-denominational ethos, on a phased basis from September 2022 (with all classes due to follow a multi-denominational programme by 2024/25).

Reconfiguration – Pilot

The pilot areas are parts of the cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick and also the Arklow, Athlone, Dundalk and Youghal areas. 63 schools were engaged with as part of the pilot. Two schools, listed in the table below, will be transferring from Catholic patronage to the local Education and Training Board becoming multi-denominational community national schools

The Department is hopeful that there will be a number of other transfers of patronage and change of ethos to multi-denominational in the short term.

My Department has commenced a review of the reconfiguration process in the pilot areas and the engagement with the school communities to consider the learnings, which 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.

Patronage Divesting areas

12 new multi-denominational schools have been established under the patronage divesting process.

*this resulted from a transfer of an existing school from the Church of Ireland

In 2022, there were 166 primary schools with a multi-denominational or inter-denominational ethos. This represents circa. 5% of mainstream primary schools.

To assist school patrons and school communities, the Department has published a guidance pack, setting out some general and practical information relating to transfer of patronage which may be useful for parents/guardians, pupils and school communities and school authorities and staff where transfer of patronage of a school is being considered or implemented. This information pack is available from the schools reconfiguration page of the gov.iewebsite or by contacting my Department at reconfiguration@education.gov.ie