Minister Quinn announces the establishment of a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector [education.ie]
- Published: 28 March 2011
The Minister for Education and Skills, Mr. Ruairi Quinn TD, today announced the establishment of a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector.
Announcing the establishment of the Forum, Minister Quinn said “it will take a multi-dimensional approach involving consultations with the key education stakeholders, including parents”.
The Minister indicated that a formal launch of the Forum will take place before Easter.
The terms of reference of the Forum are to advise the Minister on:
1. how it can best be ensured that the education system can provide a sufficiently diverse number and range of primary schools catering for all religions and none;
2. the practicalities of how transfer/divesting of patronage should operate for individual primary schools in communities where it is appropriate and necessary;
3. how such transfer/divesting can be advanced to ensure that demands for diversity of patronage (including from an Irish language perspective) can be identified and met on a widespread basis nationally.
In undertaking this work the Forum will, in particular, have regard for the following:
- the expressed willingness of the Roman Catholic Church to consider divesting patronage of primary schools
- the current financial constraints within which the State is operating, the need for continued restraint into the future and the requirement in this context to make maximum use of existing school infrastructure in catering for future demands
