Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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380. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the exact steps required by her Department for a school to change its patronage; the role of the school’s board of management, the principal, religious orders and the parent’s council in such a change; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33586/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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For historical reasons, most primary schools are State-aided parish schools, with the local Bishop as patron. It is recognised, including by the Catholic patrons, that more diverse provision is required to cater for our changing society.

The Programme for Government commits to seeking to increase choice for parents by ensuring that families can access both multi/non-denominational and faith-based education.

The schools reconfiguration process, supporting transfers of schools to multi-denominational patrons in response to the wishes of local communities, has been developed in order to meet demand from parents and to accelerate the delivery of multi-denominational schools.

Under the Education Act 1998, the legal responsibility for transferring patronage rests with the current school patron in the first instance. A school patron may write to me as Minister for Education and Youth in relation to transfer of patronage of a school under their patronage under Section 8 of the Education Act 1998 and request that the patron register is amended accordingly.

When a transfer of patronage is planned, there are many matters that need to be discussed and agreed in advance by the existing patron and any incoming patron including practical and legal considerations.

The voice of the parent and school community is important in the context of a decision to transfer patronage and/or to change to a multi-denominational ethos. Transfer of school patronage requires time and meaningful engagement with the school community, directly supported by the school patron.

Further information for school communities regarding transfers of patronage can be found on the schools reconfiguration page on www.gov.ie/schoolsreconfiguration at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/publications/schools-reconfiguration-for-diversity/.

My Department has just published a comprehensive Education Plan 2025 that outlines a significant body of work that I am undertaking this year to deliver for everyone in our school and youth services’ communities.

There are over 100 actions in this plan including a commitment to launch a survey of primary school parents and guardians and pre-school parents and guardians on their preferences on important aspects of school provision and choice, such as the future patronage and ethos of their school. I intend to launch the survey in quarter 3 of 2025. I will announce further details in due course.