Just one school divested from the Church in 2020 

The Programme for Government commits to achieving a target of at least 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030 to improve parental choice.

Covid has impacted on the transfer of schools from the Church with only one divested this year, Education Minister Norma Foley has said.

The Programme for Government commits to achieving a target of at least 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030 to improve parental choice.

However, more than 90% of primary schools across the country remain in the hands of the Church despite attempts to give parents alternatives in how children are educated.

Norma Foley said: “It is fair to say that the challenges of Covid 19 have had a direct impact on the pace of the delivery of divestment, notwithstanding that the department and I are fully committed to achieving the targets set out in the Programme for Government."

Since 2016, just eight schools have been transferred from either the Catholic Church or the Church of Ireland to a multi-denominational patron.

One primary school was divested from the Church of Ireland to Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB in June of this year.

The Government has promised to increase the diversity of the school system through a combination of divestment and construction of new schools to meet an increasing school-going population.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said a schools reconfiguration for diversity process has been developed to accelerate the delivery of multi-/non-denominational schools across the country.

Successive education ministers, from Ruairí Quinn to Jan O’Sullivan, Richard Bruton and Joe McHugh have tried to increase the number of schools divested from the Church to provide more options to parents, but the pace of change has been slow.

The department said that in parallel with the reconfiguration process, officials are continuing to work with stakeholders to progress delivery of diversity in areas already identified as part of the 2012 and 2013 patronage divesting process surveys.

Minister Foley announces patronage of four new post-primary schools to be established in 2021. They are: Ballincollig (Le Chéile Schools Trust); Booterstown, Blackrock & Dun Laoghaire (Educate Together); Dunshaughlin (Louth and Meath ETB) and Gorey (Educate Together). pic.twitter.com/hKOusjBvvQ

— Norma Foley T.D (@NormaFoleyTD1) December 21, 2020

A total of 12 schools have been established under this process, all of which have a multi-denominational ethos.

"The department anticipates that further multi-denominational provision will arise with the opening of new schools to cater for areas of demographic growth by 2030."

While multi-denominational and Gaelscoileanna have been provided through the construction of new schools, there are still 2,800 Catholic primary schools around the country.

"New schools are established in areas of strong demographic growth. Where there is pressure for school places in an area, additional multi-denominational places may also be provided in response to such demand by increasing enrolments in existing multi-denominational schools," the department spokesperson said.