There has been a 30 per cent drop in Catholic baptism figures over the last 10 years. It seems obvious that there should be a similarly huge drop in support for Catholic patronage of primary schools. Yet that is not the case.

An Irish Times analysis of the Department of Education’s survey on patronage showed support for change was strongest in certain predictable areas like Dublin, Cork and Wicklow. Even then, support for changing from Catholic patronage was not as high as might be expected.

In fact, the Church of Ireland, a minority faith that no one wants to undermine, has the dubious privilege of being the school patron with the highest support for change in patronage. Across Church of Ireland schools serving more than 100 households, 58 per cent of parents favour a change to multidenominational education, with 85 per cent wanting to see change at one school in North Dublin alone.

Even in that scenario, 15 per cent of parents would have to be accommodated elsewhere in a Church of Ireland school. A small minority cannot be forced into abandoning their preferred ethos.

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