The opening of two primary schools in Cork and Dublin has been
deferred by Education Minister Rúairí Quinn because there was not enough
support for the patrons who applied to run them.He yesterday announced that Educate Together will be patron of two schools to open in a year’s time in Sandymount/Ringsend area of Dublin and the Galway suburb of Knocknacarra.
On foot of a report from the New Schools Establishment Group, he will also consider allowing a Steiner-model school in Knocknacarra in 2015 if evidence of parental interest is confirmed.
However, the proposed schools for the Midleton/Carrigtwohill area of East Cork and Swords in Dublin have been deferred. They were to open in Sept 2014 and were each the subject of applications by two prospective patrons, in all cases proposing to run multi-denominational schools.
Educate Together and the Cork Education and Training Board (ETB) applied for patronage in East Cork, and the Dublin school was the subject of applications by Educational Society of Ireland and Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB.
However, the Department of Education said the minister has agreed to defer the establishment of both primary schools, pending further reviews of the areas.
“The demand presented by the applicants for their models is not strong and, even taken together, a viable multi-denominational model does not emerge,” said a report on the Cork school by the department’s forward planning section.
It recommended the patronage determination process be run again in 2015 if appropriate, with discussions to take place between the department and prospective patrons on how to create greater awareness and more participation by parents in the process.