Over one-third of Louth parents seek multi-denominational schools

A new national survey has revealed demand for multi-denominational education in Louth. 

The report shows that 36.2% of families in Louth would prefer a multi-denominational education while 63.8% of Louth  parents of children in denominational primary schools that expressed a preference for their school’s ethos to remain.

Educate Together has this week welcomed the announcement of the results of the recent national survey on school type preference, as announced by the Minister for Education and Youth on Tuesday April 7th.  

 According to the results, 40% of parents in religious-run schools nationally would prefer a multi-denominational primary school. These numbers contrast starkly with current school provision, whereby 95.1% of primary schools nationally remain under denominational control.  

There are currently three Educate Together primary schools in Louth, along with a single community national school. This means that of the sixty nine primary schools in the county, four have a multi-denominational ethos. 

Le Chéile ETNS was founded in 2001 and Aston Village ETNS and Ardee ETNS have since opened.

Educate Together claim that parents in many parts of Louth have no choice other than to send their children to a denominational primary school.  

Educate Together say their national office hopes to work with more Louth-based families in the future, to expand access to equality-based education around the county.   

Edward Platt, Schools Development Officer for Educate Together stated:  

“These national results are very encouraging for the future of school choice in County Louth. At Educate Together we regularly engage with families and local communities who are frustrated by the lack of multi-denominational / equality-based school places available to them. Now that The Department of Education has provided statistically valid data to show that over 36% of parents in Louth want their child to have access to a multi-denominational school, we need to see action taken to make this a reality”.  

Educate Together says it has seen demand for its schools increase rapidly, and the organisation has opened 60 schools in the last 15 years in response to parental demand. The first Catholic school in Ireland to transfer patronage in 2024 was Paradise Place Educate Together National School  in Dublin.  

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 The government’s current Framework and Action Plan for Delivery of Increased Choice for Parents on Education Provision at Primary Level outlines a three-step process for change:  

1. Department identifies schools where there is strong demand for change through the Primary School survey.
2. Department facilitator supports a process of dialogue in schools identified (from Q2 2026).
3. Schools select a new patron and change patronage (from September 2027). 

Educate Together is urging the government to announce school level data for Louth soon, and to provide adequate resourcing and investment to support the next steps of the process.

Mr Platt continued:  “The next step of the Department of Education’s action plan is for schools to receive an individualised report on the survey results specific to their school community. Educate Together looks forward to engaging with schools following this next stage of the process and exploring potential patronage transfer where demand exists.”