Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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475. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the process for schools to change patronage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63410/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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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 recon?guration 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 the 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 at the following link: www.gov.ie/schoolsreconfiguration

I recently announced the launch of an online, school-specific survey of parents and guardians, and primary school communities in line with the department’s Education Plan 2025.

The survey asks primary school parents and guardians and parents and guardians of children not yet in school to indicate their preferences on important aspects of school provision and choice, such as the future patronage and ethos of their school.

I encourage all parents and guardians with children in primary school and all parents and guardians of children not yet in primary school to complete a survey and “Have Your Say” about the primary school that your children attend now or will attend in the future. I also encourage all primary school staff and all primary school board of management members to complete a survey in respect of your primary school. Go to www.gov.ie/primaryschoolsurvey for information on the survey and a link to the survey itself. It is a short, straightforward, online survey that can be completed in a matter of minutes.

The survey, which will run until the 16th of December, is not a final step. Where there is clear support from parents and guardians for change to be considered, a further process of inclusive dialogue will begin.