The Department of Education has told the Forum on Pluralism and Patronage that it does not think the law prevents the setting up of non-denominational or completely secular schools here.
Secretary General Brigid McManus told the forum that, to the best of her knowledge, she did not think existing regulations would be an impediment.
The Department told the forum that it had considered establishing the new Community National Schools as completely non-denominational schools with no religious instruction, but in the end decided against it.
Ms McManus said this had never been an issue because no patron had come forward with a proposal for such a school.
It emerged yesterday at the forum that attempts to set up secular schools in the 1970s were stymied by a regulation dating back to the 1920s.
This morning the Department of Education outlined how it envisages a change of patronage happening.
It says the most likely scenario is that existing Catholic schools in areas of stable population would be amalgamated. The school building vacated would then be made available to another patron.
The most typical kind of amalgamation would be bringing existing single sex boys and girls primary schools into one co-educational school, as well as the amalgamation of some junior and senior primary schools.
