Catholic bishops have welcomed the establishment of the first primary school since 1831 which is not controlled by churches or faith communities.
Bishop Leo O'Reilly of the Irish Bishops' Conference said "the Constitution of Ireland provides for the education of children from all faiths and of none. To this end the development of models of educational patronage is something desirable and welcome in contemporary Ireland. The Catholic Church has always supported the rights of parents to establish schools that reflect the values of the home".
As reported in The Irish Times last Saturday the State's first community school at primary level is to be located at Diswellstown, Co Dublin and will be overseen by a local vocational educational committee. It is to be set up on a pilot basis and could eventually lead to a new model for primary schools. There are 3,279 primary schools in the State, of which 3,039 are under Catholic control, with 183 controlled by the Church of Ireland, and 34 multi-denominational. Ms Hanafin said provision would be made for the children's religious, moral and ethical education in line with parents' wishes.