In an unusual development, the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Desmond Connell, has come to the aid of parents looking for a site for their multi-denominational school by allowing them to lease space on church-owned lands.
Dr Connell decided to rent space at the School for the Deaf, Cabra, to the parents after their attempts to set up in new premises in the Castleknock area were blocked by objections from local groups, including parents from the nearby Catholic school.
The leasing of space by the church to parents for a multi-denominational school has not happened before, the group representing such parents said last night. Educate Together said the arrangement showed the "positive level of co-operation" that now existed between their movement and the Catholic Church.
Up to 90 children will now be bussed to the school, which they will use for a year while the Department of Education attempts to make ready a new site at Beechpark in Castleknock.
Many of the parents are angry the children cannot attend school in Castleknock. However, they are understood to be relieved that space has been secured for the school, known as Castleknock Educate Together National School.
The space being leased is owned by the Catholic Institute for the Deaf, of which Dr Connell is patron. He agreed to the arrangement last week after the parents contacted the institute urgently seeking the space.
Dr Connell's intervention represented a last-minute reprieve for the school and its board of management, which was finding it extremely difficult to find a suitable site ahead of schools resuming next week.
It is highly unusual, according to Educate Together, for the Catholic Church to rent space to them for the purposes of a school. However, a spokesman for Dr Connell said last night offers had been made previously by the Dublin archdiocese, but this was the first time such an arrangement had been completed.
A Department of Education architect will inspect the buildings today and ensure the site is made suitable. The Department of Education has given the school permanent recognition, and 90 pupils have signed up for classes. However, due to the uncertainty over the summer, this number may fall.
The Department will pay the cost of the leasing arrangement and the bussing of the children to Cabra. The Department has shifted its policy towards multi-denominational schools in recent months and is now increasingly giving them permanent recognition. For example, such a school in Henrietta Street, Dublin, was recently given permanent recognition, which means it receives full State funding. This compares to the 75 per cent funding that applies to schools with temporary recognition.
The multi-denominational sector has been growing in recent years and now has more than 16 primary schools operating under the Educate Together banner. However, it still trails well behind the two main denominations and the Gaelscoileanna movement.
One of the major changes being considered in the area of primary education by the Department is the idea of "campus schools", where schools of different denominations and ethos share one area. This plan, being prepared by its buildings section, is opposed by the Gaelscoileanna movement, which is worried it could have a negative impact on the ability of children to learn Irish if they are mixing every day with English-speaking children.