Bandon, Carrigaline,
Cobh,
Fermoy,
Passage West and
Youghal will be part of an initial survey of parents in 44 areas of the country.
Education Minister Ruairí Quinn has announced that the process will begin immediately with advertisements to be placed by the end of June in the named areas, inviting submissions of interest for patronage from organisations.
The Department of Education will then survey the parents of pre-school children in these areas to determine what kind of primary education they want for their children. The surveys will be carried out in October and November.
The Minister’s response was to the report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector in April. It recommended that the Catholic Church should hand over control of schools in some parts of the country.
Minister Quinn said he broadly accepted the findings of the report, and he said the process is needed to reflect Ireland's more diverse population.
"Many people's views about the place of religion in society and in their own lives have undergone profound change," he said.
"For many parents this will be the first time they will have a real say in the type of primary school they want their children to go to, whether it is denominational, multi-denominational, all-Irish or other.”
He added: "Becoming more inclusive means ensuring that across the system as a whole there is respect for the diversity of traditions and religions from which pupils now come. This has to be done in a sensitive manner."
John Holohan, Head of Communications at Educate Together, the patron body to Ireland’s multi-denominational schools, welcomed the implementation of the process.
“This is an area of education policy that Educate Together has campaigned on for a long time. We are very much in favour of the process initiated. It’s a good day for choice and a good day for parents,” Mr Holohan added. “Our CEO said it was a ‘landmark day for Irish education’.”
Niall Wall, Regional Development Officer for Educate Together told the Cork Independent he was confident that there will be interest in Educate Together schools. There is already an Educate Together school in Carrigaline and there has been interest in establishing schools in Bandon, Cobh and Fermoy.
There will be an Educate Togher school opening in Douglas/ Rochestown area in 2013. There is huge demand in Ballincollig, according to Mr Wall, and many of their schools are already over subscribed.
Parents will be given full information on the different types of schools and the different possible patron bodies.
Helplines will also be put in place during the survey period to deal with queries from parents.