EDUCATION officials say they are still waiting for
bishops to agree arrangements for the handover of Catholic-run primary
schools in 28 areas to other patron bodies. Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has sought detailed proposals from Catholic bishops by October identifying schools to be divested.
It would be a first step in a significant shift towards multi-denominational education and the biggest shake-up in the primary sector since the 1830s.
"There have been discussions but final, definite conclusions have not been reached," Mr Quinn said. He acknowledged that negotiations over the hand-over of schools from dioceses would be extremely complex.
"The difficulty is which of the (Catholic) schools is to be transferred to the department for reallocation. That is where delicate and diplomatic engagement has to take place. Every school will be different and every bishop will be different."
The Catholic Church controls more than 90pc of primary schools and moves to reduce that dominance have involved votes within local communities on the need for more choice.
In a thinly veiled barb at the slow pace of consultation, Mr Quinn pointed out that Ireland's religious profile was now radically different from what it was in the early 20th century.
He said that while 84pc of people identified themselves on census forms as being Roman Catholic, studies had shown that only 67pc fit the actual profile of being Catholic.