A BODY that is patron to more than 60 all-Irish schools has offered its services in areas where the Catholic Church may decide to hand over control of some of its schools.The move by An Foras Pátrúnachta na Scoileanna LánGhaeilge follows the release last week of a Department of Education report outlining more than 40 towns where primary schools are predominantly Catholic or other denominations but where there is unlikely to be sufficient population growth in the next six years to warrant new schools being opened.
The Catholic bishops had sought the information and have promised to consult with local communities, schools, parents and staff before deciding if they will divest patronage of schools in areas where there may be demand for a greater choice of school ethos.
While observers have highlighted the possibility of multi-denominational patron body Educate Together, which controls more than 50 primary schools, or city and county Vocational Education Committees (VECs), filling the gap, An Foras Pátrúnachta has stressed it is also available.
The organisation is patron to 58 primary and three second level schools, including a mix of Catholic, inter-denominational (for children of Catholic and Protestant faiths) and multi-denominational schools (where pupils of all faiths and none are taught but no specific religion is taught in classes).
General secretary Caoimhín O hEaghra said that the process of consultation before bishops take any decisions may take time. But, he said, if all parties are serious about the proposal, then gaelscoils are an obvious place to start.
"There is greater demand than ever for gaelscoileanna throughout the country in both rural and urban areas.
"This demand is seen in areas of stable population and in areas where the population is growing," he said.
"If a gaelscoil currently under the Catholic Church wishes to change to the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta they will hold onto their Catholic ethos, plus being with An Foras Pátrúnachta whose main focus is Irish-medium education is immediately of benefit to the school and the change of patronage would be seamless," Mr O hEaghra said.
More than 92% of the country’s 3,165 primary schools have a Catholic ethos, 69 are multi-denominational and eight are inter-denominational.