Five new primary schools are to be established over the next two years under the patronage of the multi-denominational group Educate Together and the gaelscoil umbrella body, An Foras Pátrúnachta.
All five are in areas of rapid population growth in the Dublin commuter belt.
Educate Together will open schools in the Dublin suburbs of Blanchardstown west, Mulhuddart and Ashbourne, Co Meath. An Foras Pátrúnachta will open one inter-denominational school in west Dublin and one in Ashbourne.
There are no new Catholic schools in list of new schools detailed by the Department of Education today.
Last month, the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin acknowledged the Catholic church was over represented in primary education, given the increasing secularisation of Irish society. At present, the Catholic church controls over 92 per cent of the 3,200 primary schools in the State.
Today's announcement underlines the growing strength of the Educate Together movement which already controls 58 primary schools. The group is the fastest growing patron in Irish education; it has opened 19 new schools in the last five years.
The new programme for government also signals support for Educate Together to gain recognition as a second level patron.
Educate Together chief executive Paul Rowe said he was delighted with the announcement. "It marks another step on the road to an education system that meets the needs of parents and children in Ireland. I am heartened by the Department’s decision to award three out of the five schools they announced today to our patronage," he said.
"Educate Together will immediately start work to ensure that these schools make a great contribution to their communities. We actively encourage parental involvement in school life and we will be liaising closely with our schools, startup groups and parents of prospective pupils in Blanchardstown, Mulhuddart and Ashbourne over the coming months."
The department has a list of areas where new schools for an anticipated 80,000 new primary admissions will be needed over the next decade. All parties in the recent general election maintained a commitment to maintaining investment in education.
Educate Together has been offering multi-denominational education since 1978 when its first school, the Dalkey School Project opened.
