Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if it is her policy to have a choice of primary school places available in each school planning area by providing non-religious and multi-denominational schools, mixed and single-sex schools, and different patronage types; if she will examine a particular school planning area (details supplied) to establish if enough choice is available to parents for their children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24454/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase so as to ensure that every child has a school place. The arrangements in this regard include criteria which place a particular emphasis on parental patronage and language preferences and an analysis of existing provision in the areas where new schools are being established.

As the Deputy will be aware, two multi-denominational primary schools serve the area to which he refers, namely North Bay Educate Together National School and Killester Raheny Clontarf Educate Together National School.

The Programme for Government reflects the Government’s objective of continuing to expand the plurality of schools to reflect the full breadth of society. It sets out that “students of all religions and none should have access to education, regardless of their belief system”.

The Programme for Government commitments in this area include:

• To achieve the target of at least 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030, to improve parental choice;
• To expand and prioritise the transfer of viable schools to Community National Schools; and
• To 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.

For historical reasons, most primary schools are State-aided parish schools, with the local Bishop as patron, although this pattern is changing. It is recognised, including by the Catholic patrons, that more diverse provision is required to cater for our changing society.

The Schools Recon?guration 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.

When 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 department rules and regulations.

During 2022/23 a structured engagement process took place with school communities in a number of towns and areas of cities that had no multi-denominational primary schools. This process aimed 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 was sufficient demand.

A number of schools within the school planning area to which the Deputy refers were engaged with as part of the 2022/23 engagement process. The facilitator, based on engagement with stakeholders, including school staff and parents concluded, in their final report, that the majority of the school community in this area wished the schools engaged with to remain under Catholic patronage.

The 2022/23 engagement process has resulted in four transfers of patronage and change of ethos to multi-denominational across the 8 pilot areas.

It is intended that a review of the 2022/23 engagement process in the pilot areas will be finalised and published shortly. It is envisaged that it will include a framework for delivering on the Government commitment for increasing multi-denominational provision.

A significant amount of work has been done by my Department on the scope, logistics and practical arrangements for a potential survey of primary school communities and further details will be made available in due course.

My goal remains to establish a strong process, that has the support of patrons and local communities, and which will enable us to continue to increase the number of multi-denominational primary schools across the country.

Regarding the Deputy’s reference to change in status to co-education, the decision making authority in this regard is the patron/trustees of the schools, subject to the approval of the Department.

Local consultation regarding potential change of status to co-education is encouraged by the Department and it is the responsibility of the patrons to undertake any consultation that they deem appropriate and to make the final decision as to whether to change status.

My Department in considering such applications must assess the implications, if any, of changing the status of a school(s) in the context of how this change may impact the viability of other schools in the area and any future implications for school place availability. My Department must also consider any associated capital implications that may be warranted as a result of such a change.