Hand-over of Catholic schools to be revealed

The timescale for the first hand-overs of Catholic schools in areas where parents want more choice will be revealed by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn today.

He is expected to announce details of local surveys in some of the 43 towns and city suburbs already identified as needing greater variety of primary schools.

Details will also emerge of how denominational schools in smaller communities will be expected to cater for children of other faiths, as more than 95% of the country’s 3,300 primary schools remain in the control of religious patrons, including 90% where the Catholic bishop is the patron.