Parents of primary and pre-school children are to be surveyed shortly on their preferences when it comes to schools' ethos and other matters.
Minister for Education and Youth Helen McEntee has confirmed that long awaited surveys, first announced two years ago, will be rolled out "in the coming weeks".
The questionnaires have been designed as part of a renewed effort by the Department of Education to encourage more Catholic schools to divest to multi-denominational patronage.
An ambitious target was set by the last government to treble the number of multi-denominational schools here by 2030, however barely any progress towards that goal has been achieved.
Currently just 5% of primary schools are multi-denominational, with the remaining 95% run by religious organisations, the vast majority by the Catholic church.
In census 2022, the parents of a quarter of all children under the age of four indicated that they had no religion.
Surveys aimed at capturing the wishes of parents were ready to be rolled out last year just prior to the general election. There has been some frustration among multi-denominational patron bodies regarding the delay.
Asked about the surveys yesterday, Minister McEntee said she was "absolutely determined that we ask parents what their preference is".
"It’s really important that we get a clear picture and understanding of what parents want, not just in terms of denominational or nondenominational education, but also in relation to single sex or other education and gaelscoileanna".
"I want to make sure that we have that clarity," she said.
Outlining the survey plans two years ago, Secretary General of the Department of Education Bernie McNally said parents would complete the questionnaires "in the privacy of their own homes" and that they would have access to accurate information in advance.
She warned that the area was a sensitive one where "sometimes misinformation can thrive".
The current Programme for Government commits to "seeking to increase choice for parents by ensuring that families can access both multi/non-denominational and faith-based education".
Falling numbers of primary school age children mean opportunities for the establishment of new multi-denominational schools have declined.
A process known as 'reconfiguration’ was introduced in 2016 which aimed to meet demand and accelerate the delivery of multi-denominational schools by transferring schools to multi-denominational patrons, with the support of local communities.
However since reconfiguration was first proposed in 2016, just four viable Catholic primary schools have transferred to multi-denominational patronage.
Those schools are in Athlone, Nenagh and Dublin's inner city.
A small number of tiny rural Catholic schools have also transferred patronage in recent years, but they were all schools with a handful of pupils at risk of imminent closure due to falling enrolment.
