merrion street

The Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh, T.D., has today invited school patron bodies/prospective school patron bodies to apply for the patronage of 12 new primary schools to be established in September 2019.

Today’s invitation follows on from the announcement on 13th April 2018 for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four year period from 2019 to 2022. A patronage process is run after it has been decided that the new school is required.

A patronage process will be undertaken in respect of 12 primary schools to be established in 2019 which will serve the following school planning areas:

· Booterstown_Blackrock
· Donaghmede_Howth_D13
· Dublin6_Clonskeagh & Dublin_6W (Regional Solution)
· Dunshaughlin
· Glasheen_CorkCity/Pouladuff
· Goatstown_Stillorgan_DLR
· Kilcoole/Newtownmountkennedy
· Killester_Raheny_Clontarf
· Leixlip
· Maynooth
· Swords/South
· Swords/North

A new Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) has been developed to provide objective information to all parents and guardians which will allow them to make an informed choice in expressing a preference for their preferred model of patronage for their child’s education, including their preference for their child to be educated through the medium of Irish or English.

Prospective patrons should complete an application form available on the Department’s website https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/Establishing-a-New-School/Establishing-a-New-School.html and submit to the Department by 1 p.m. on the 13th November 2018. This form will input into the new online system and will provide key information to parents and guardians in expressing a preference, which is one of the key determinants in decisions on patronage.

Inviting applications from interested patrons/prospective patrons today, Minister McHugh said:

Parental preferences for each patron, from parents/guardians of children who reside in the school planning areas concerned, together with the extent of diversity currently available in these areas, are key to decisions in relation to the outcome of this process.

The patronage process for new schools is overseen by the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG). This Group was set up in 2011 to advise the Minister on the patronage of new schools following its consideration of a report prepared by the Department on the applications received.

The schools will be established in line with the requirements and criteria originally announced in June 2011 for the patronage of new schools. These requirements and criteria are published on the Department’s website and will also be provided to prospective applicants. Applicants must confirm they will comply with each of the requirements and criteria in order for their application to be processed.


Notes for Editors


Details of 12 new primary schools to be established in 2019 in respect of which a patronage process will be undertaken

County School Planning Area(s) to be served School Size Year of Opening
Dublin Booterstown_Blackrock 8 classrooms 2019
Dublin Donaghmede_Howth_D13 16 classrooms 2019
Dublin Dublin6_Clonskeagh & Dublin_6W (Regional Solution) 16 classrooms 2019
Meath Dunshaughlin 8 classrooms 2019
Cork Glasheen_CorkCity/Pouladuff 8 classrooms 2019
Dublin Goatstown_Stillorgan_DLR 16 classrooms 2019
Wicklow Kilcoole/Newtownmountkennedy 8 classrooms 2019
Dublin Killester_Raheny_Clontarf 8 classrooms 2019
Kildare Leixlip 8 classrooms 2019
Kildare Maynooth 8 classrooms 2019
Dublin Swords South 8 classrooms 2019
Dublin Swords North 8 classrooms 2019


Drumcondra_Marino_Dublin1 primary school to be established in 2019

With regard to the primary school to serve the Drumcondra_Marino_Dublin 1 school planning area due to be established in 2019, the NSEG advised that a new patronage process was not required in this specific case and recommended that the new school to be established in 2019 to serve the Drumcondra_Marino_Dublin 1 school planning area should be a Gaelscoil under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta. In line with the recommendations of the NSEG, patronage of this school has been awarded to An Foras Pátrúnachta.

Next steps

The Department will shortly open the new Online Patronage Process System website for the 2019 primary patronage process. This will provide objective information to all parents which will allow them to make an informed choice in expressing a preference for their preferred model of patronage for their child’s education.

The Department will subsequently compile a patronage report for the consideration of the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG) and the NSEG will submit a report with recommendations for consideration by the Minister.