Archbishop defends 'Catholic children first' rule

The Archbishop of Dublin is defending the rule prioritising children who've been baptised in Catholic Schools.

He claims the problem is because of a "lack of places" at schools.

The Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has responded to a mother's claim that her four-year-old son was denied a place in a number of schools in South Dublin because he was not baptised.

In an interview carried in the Irish Independent this morning, Dr Martin said that in "Catholic schools, they obviously prioritise people are are Catholic".

He claims the real problem is a lack of places in primary schools, which is also an issue at some Educate Together schools.

He said the process of separating education from religious orders is too slow, and it is "not fair to blame the Church" for that.

There are still fewer than 100 non-denominational schools in the country, with the vast majority of schools still under the patronage of the church.