Church of Ireland bishop says school debate not new

THE role of religion in schools has only become a subject of public debate because it is now an issue for Catholic schools, a Church of Ireland bishop has claimed.

Right Reverend Paul Colton, Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, said members of religious minorities have always had difficulty having education requirements met.

Discussion around control of 92% of the country’s 3,300 primary schools by Catholic bishops has been heightened in the past year and they are in talks with the Department of Education about the possible handover of schools to other patrons in areas of declining demand for Catholic education.