1110. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to examine the recently published parental preference survey for the Killester-Raheny-Clontarf school planning area; her views that 62.1% of parents favour multi-denominational primary education and 87.6% favour co-educational primary education; the actions her Department will take to ensure that parents in the Killester-Raheny-Clontarf school planning area can avail of a co-educational, multi-denominational secondary school place for their children; and if she will make a statement on the matter [59840/26]

The Primary School Survey gathered the views of both parents of children currently attending primary school and parents of children yet to enter the school system. It explored preferences regarding school patronage/ethos, co-educational or single-sex provision and language (education through Irish or English).

In early June, my department issued primary schools with their school-specific results and explanatory information, marking the next stage in the process of engaging school communities on the future direction of their schools.

Boards of Management have been asked to share their survey results and explanatory information with their school communities, to review their survey results and to engage with their communities (including parents), and the local community (including parents with children not yet in school), before deciding on their next steps,

Decisions about the future direction of primary schools arising from the Primary School Survey work should be led by school communities themselves. It is important that schools are given the time and space to reflect carefully on their results and to engage fully with parents and the wider school communities before making decisions.

My department has published all school-level reports, survey results, guidance documents and supporting materials on www.gov.ie/PrimarySchoolSurvey. A national summary report including a county breakdown of the results, and school planning area level results (for planning purpose we have 314 school planning areas and all schools are assigned to a specific school planning area) have also been published on these webpages. These resources are designed to support Boards of Management in sharing results and engaging openly with parents, staff, patrons and the wider school community. My department will continue to support and engage with schools as they consider their individual results and next steps.

Schools have been asked to inform their patron and my department by 31 October 2026 if the school requests to be included in the first group to action the survey results.

The first changes arising from this process are expected to be seen in schools from September 2027.

At national level, there is a significantly more diversity of provision at post-primary level compared to primary level. My department’s main focus in relation to reconfiguration is therefore at primary level in the first instance. However, my department will be looking at the outcomes from the primary school survey process in due course to determine if there is any feedback and learnings that would be relevant and applicable for post-primary level in the future.