Parents will have say on the Church handover of schools [Independent.ie]
- Published: 13 April 2011
Quinn's worth: Minister for Education plans changesTechnologic: Principal Marianne Henry with pupils at Naas Community National School. Photo by Ronan Lang
Parents are likely to play a key role in deciding the future of Catholic primary schools as the new Minister for Education moves to take hundreds of them out of church control.
There is common agreement, even within Government itself, that Ruairi Quinn's initial target of removing 50% of schools from Catholic patronage by the beginning of next year is unrealistic.
At present the Catholic Church acts as the patron of 90% of the country's 3,200 primary schools.
The church itself accepts that it will have to give up the patronage of many of its schools.
The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has been a prime instigator of this process.
Ruairi Quinn is currently setting up a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism to work out how the running of schools will be handed over.
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