Quinn rejects advice on patronage of two primary schools

Ruairi Quinn, the education minister, has rejected the advice of his officials and independent experts to decide who will be patron of two new primary schools.

Parental demand was very similar for both the local Vocational Education Committee (VEC) and multi-denominational schools group Educate Together in relation to proposed schools in Kildare town and Mallow, Co Cork, due to open this year and next year, respectively.

A month ago, Department of Education officials recommended that the group likely to have more interest over the first two years of operation should be made patron.