The Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan T.D., today announced the outcome of the patronage determination process for two new primary schools due to open in September 2015.
The schools will be located in Carrigtohill, Co. Cork and Greystones, Co. Wicklow.
Patronage of the new school for Carrigtohill is being awarded to the Cork Education and Training Board and patronage of the new Greystones school is being awarded to the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board. Both schools will operate as multi-denominational Community National Schools.
Announcing the patronage, Minister O’Sullivan said: “The decisions taken by me on patronage of these new schools place a particular emphasis on providing for demonstrated parental demand for plurality and diversity of patronage. Both schools will optimise parental choice and strengthen diversity of provision in the areas in which they are to be established.”
The Minister expressed her thanks to the members of the New Schools Establishment Group (an independent advisory group which advises the Minister on the patronage of new schools, following its consideration of a report prepared by Department officials) for their valuable input. She said: “The system used to establish new schools and appoint school patrons was introduced to ensure an objective and transparent process and the role of the New Schools Establishment Group is critical to achieving these aims.”
Last February Minister O’Sullivan announced that a total of four new primary schools will open in September 2015 to meet demographic needs. Patronage for two of the schools has already been decided under a previous patronage determination process. Educate Together was awarded patronage of a new school for Pelletstown/Ashtown, Dublin and Lifeways Ireland was awarded patronage for a new primary school for Knocknacarra, Galway. Lifeways Ireland provides the Steiner model.
Department officials will shortly contact each of the patron bodies regarding the establishment of these new schools.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
Details of new schools to be established in September 2015
- Carrigtohill, Co. Cork
- Greystones, Co. Wicklow
- Pelletstown/Ashtown, Dublin
- The Knocknacarra area of Galway City
A patronage determination process was previously run for the Dublin school and the Knocknacarra school.
Educate Together will be patron for the Dublin school.
Lifeways Ireland (Steiner Model of Provision) will be Patron for the Knocknacarra school.
All of the schools in question are being established to meet a demographic need.
Details on the arrangements and criteria for establishing new schools are available on the Department’s website.
New Schools Establishment Group
The patronage determination process for new schools is overseen by the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG).
This group was set up in 2011 to advise the Minister on the patronage of new schools following its consideration of a report prepared by the Department on the applications received.
The group is chaired by Dr. Seamus McGuinness (retired senior lecturer in the Education Department at Trinity College Dublin) and also includes Ms Sylda Langford (retired Director of the Office of the Minister for Children) and Prof. Seán Ó Riain (Sociology Department, NUI Maynooth).