The Minister for Education and Skills Mr Ruairi Quinn has started the process of reducing the role of the Catholic Church in primary schools last Tuesday.Mr. Quinn announced that the majority of the seven new schools that are due to open later this year will be run by the multi-denominational institution, Educate Together.
5 will be run under the patronage of Educate Together
1 will be run under An Foras Pátrúnachta
1 will be a community national school run by the VEC
Notably, the Catholic Church will not be patron of any of the new schools.
The Minister has denied that he is distancing himself from the religion that has traditionally dominated Irish schools.
Educate Together has been growing in popularity around the country in recent year and see Mr. Quinn's announcement as a vindication of its ethos.
Educate Together will run three of the eight primary schools due to open in 2013.
The Minister for Education says its his aim to give parents as much choice as possible in future when it comes to choosing a school for their child.