Minister Bruton Announces Multi-Denominational School for Faughart, Co. Louth

The Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD, has today announced that agreement has been reached with the Archdiocese of Armagh enabling the primary school at Faughart to continue to serve the local community under new patronage from this September 2018. On foot of a request from the local community for the continuation of primary school provision in Faughart under the patronage of the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board, the Minister has confirmed the school will operate as a Community National School under the patronage of LMETB from this coming September.

In January 2017, the Minister announced new plans aimed at providing more multi-denominational and non-denominational schools across the country, in line with the choices of families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment in this area.

This new Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process, which is underway and involves the transfer of live schools, has the potential to significantly increase patron diversity in our school system with a target of reaching 400 multi-denominational and non-denominational schools by 2030.

The Minister stated that there is no one model which will provide a universal answer to this complex issue and there is room for a number of different multi- and non-denominational patrons to respond to different parental wishes through the different process now in place, in the context of an expanding population and increasing demand for multi-denominational education.

The Minister thanked the Archbishop of Armagh for making the former Scoil Náisúnta Bhrigdhe in Faughart available and wished the school patron, Louth and Meath Education and Training Board and the school well in welcoming children for the start of the coming school year.

ENDS