Often-thorny school issues will be outside minister’s control

While the eventual divesting of Catholic schools in some urban areas should better reflect a diversifying population in many areas, there is little scope to provide school types to match the faith demographics of every community.

This is particularly so in rural Ireland, where local parish schools are usually the only choice for parents unless they choose — and can afford — to have their children travel longer distances to class.

But the exercise being undertaken by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, with mixed support from the Catholic bishops, should eventually see some greater choice of provision for parents in urban areas where new schools are not being built to meet population growth.