Topics / School Patronage

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

School Patronage

71 questions from 26 TDs, between 5 February 2025 and 21 October 2026.

71
questions
71 written, 0 oral
26
TDs have asked
8
parties and groups
Independents counted together
1
departments asked

Questions per month

The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.

Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
MonthQuestions
January 20250
February 20256
March 20250
April 202513
May 20253
June 20253
July 20255
August 20250
September 20256
October 20251
November 20251
December 20250
January 20261
February 20261
March 20260
April 202618
May 20267
June 20260
July 20264
August 20260
September 20260
October 20262

Who asks, by party

The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.

  • Fianna Fáil4 from 3 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael4 from 3 TDs · 38 seats today
  • Independent7 from 1 TD · 15 seats today
  • Independent Ireland1 from 1 TD · 4 seats today
  • Labour Party3 from 2 TDs · 11 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity6 from 2 TDs · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin16 from 8 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.

  1. 23
  2. 7
  3. 5
  4. 4
  5. 3
  6. 3
  7. 2
  8. 2

Asked of

Debated under the same heading

Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.

The questions

Paul Murphy Written 21 Oct 2026 · to Education
81. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps she is taking to facilitate school patronage change on foot of the national parents’ survey; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74616/26]
Denise Mitchell Written 13 Oct 2026 · to Education
265. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which existing common enrolment systems for primary schools should operate if a change of ethos results in two linked schools having differing patrons; and if there is a best practice guide for schools undergoing a change of patron in terms of whether they should proceed via a phased transition or a whole-of-school transition to the new…
Réada Cronin Written 8 Jul 2026 · to Education
112. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the next steps for schools where a majority of respondents to her Department's primary school survey favoured a move to multi-denominational patronage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52263/26]
Réada Cronin Written 8 Jul 2026 · to Education
113. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has provided guidance to schools on how to engage with parents and communities prior to the 31 October deadline to discuss the publication of her Department's primary school survey; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52264/26]
Réada Cronin Written 8 Jul 2026 · to Education
114. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if concerns were raised within her Department around the 31 October deadline and the practicality of the consultation period from September to October; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52265/26]
Réada Cronin Written 8 Jul 2026 · to Education
115. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps being taken to ensure more non-denominational schools are being built across the country following the publication of the Department's primary school survey; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52266/26]
Conor Sheehan Written 27 May 2026 · to Education
82. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth following the recent survey conducted by her Department, the percentage of parents of preschool children that stated they would prefer a non-denominational school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40371/26]
Conor Sheehan Written 27 May 2026 · to Education
83. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth following the recent survey conducted by her Department, the percentage of parents of children currently in a non-denominational school that stated they are happy with their school being non-denominational; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40372/26]
John Brady Written 7 May 2026 · to Education
287. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number and percentage of parents of preschool children who indicated a preference for a multi-denominational primary school option in the recent national primary school survey. [33576/26]
John Brady Written 7 May 2026 · to Education
288. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number and percentage of parents whose children are currently attending multi-denominational schools who indicated a preference for a multi-denominational primary school option in the survey. [33577/26]
John Brady Written 7 May 2026 · to Education
289. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total number and percentage of all parents surveyed who selected the multi-denominational option as their preferred model of primary school patronage. [33578/26]
John Brady Written 7 May 2026 · to Education
290. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth the rationale for the Department's decision to publish survey findings focusing primarily on the preferences of parents whose children attend denominational schools, rather than presenting a comprehensive analysis reflecting the views of all respondents. [33579/26]
John Brady Written 7 May 2026 · to Education
291. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department will commit to publishing the full dataset arising from the survey, or at minimum a more detailed breakdown of responses across all demographic categories, in order to ensure transparency and maintain public confidence in the consultation process. [33580/26]
Jen Cummins Written 22 Apr 2026 · to Education
99. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the monies outstanding from the church for redress could be offset in the exchange of property for divestment of school patronage. [28863/26]
Barry Heneghan Written 21 Apr 2026 · to Education
535. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number and percentage of parents of preschool children who expressed support for multi-denominational education in the National Parent Survey, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28688/26]
Barry Heneghan Written 21 Apr 2026 · to Education
536. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number and percentage of parents of children currently attending multi-denominational schools who expressed support for multi-denominational education in the National Parent Survey, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28689/26]
Barry Heneghan Written 21 Apr 2026 · to Education
537. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total number of submissions received to the National Parent Survey; the number and percentage of those which expressed support for multi-denominational education, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28690/26]
Barry Heneghan Written 21 Apr 2026 · to Education
538. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reasons the published outcomes of the National Parent Survey focused on the preferences of parents of children attending denominational schools rather than presenting the preferences of all parents surveyed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28692/26]
Barry Heneghan Written 21 Apr 2026 · to Education
539. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will publish the full dataset of valid responses from the National Parent Survey, including a breakdown by school type and parental cohort, in order to ensure transparency and maintain public confidence in the consultation process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28693/26]
Michael Collins Written 16 Apr 2026 · to Education
220. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the percentage of parents of preschool children that chose the multi-denominational option regarding the primary school survey; the percentage of parents of children currently attending multi-denominational schools that chose the multi-denominational option; the percentage of all parents surveyed that chose the multi-denominational option; the rea…
Ruth Coppinger Written 16 Apr 2026 · to Education
223. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on concerns that have been raised regarding the recently published results to the patronage preference question in her Department’s primary school survey (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27798/26]
Ruth Coppinger Written 16 Apr 2026 · to Education
224. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider a more holistic approach in relation to the use of the recently published results of the patronage preference question in her Department's Primary School Survey (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27799/26]
Jen Cummins Written 15 Apr 2026 · to Education
256. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of parents of preschool children that responded to the survey on patronage; and the percentage of them that chose non-religious patronage, in tabular form. [27672/26]
Jen Cummins Written 15 Apr 2026 · to Education
257. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of parents of children attending non-religious and/or multidenominational schools that responded to the survey on patronage; and the percentage of them that chose non-religious patronage, in tabular form. [27673/26]
Jen Cummins Written 15 Apr 2026 · to Education
258. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the percentage of all parental respondents to the survey on patronage that chose non-religious patronage. [27674/26]