In addition, the Minister has approved the expansion of the VEC pilot primary school programme into three new areas - Navan in Co Meath, Kells in Co Kildare and Balbriggan in Co Dublin.

In all, the Minister has announced seven new primary schools to include two new Educate Together schools, one in Swords Co Dublin and one in Portlaoise.

However, the Minister's 2010 Primary Provision Plan has angered the multidenominational body Educate Together and the group is calling for the immediate publication of the Department's decision criteria.

"It [2010 Primary Provision Plan] has been issued without consultation, contra to Section 10 of the Educate Act, and without any rationale for how the decisions were made," Educate Together said in a statement.

"Last year the Minister removed the facility for new schools to be independently established and has now announced new schools that do not match local need.

"We cannot understand the thinking behind the stated plan and we call on the Minister to explain it."

CEO Paul Rowe asked why the Minister was adding to the number of catholic primary schools when the bishops had admitted that the church already has too many.

"The abundance of Catholic primary schools in the country has been well documented, with the church recently acknowledging an inherent oversupply. Yet new Catholic schools have been announced for Drogheda and Galway.

But department sources pointed out that the new schools were in expanding areas and the approval did not contradict the church's agreement that it had too many schools, as this statement did not apply in most new areas.

A spokesperson for Minister O'Keeffe said that extensive consultation had taken place with the different patron groups on the establishment of the new primary schools.

The Catholic Primary School Management Association welcomed the Minister's decision to establish two new Catholic primary schools and said that this was in line with parental wishes in both Galway and Drogheda.

Mr Rowe also criticised the Minister's decision to expand the VEC programme at this time, in the absence of data regarding the success of the two existing VEC primary schools.

"The expansion of the VEC Pilot Primary School programme is also a matter for serious concern. No data on the success of the current two VEC primary schools is yet available... The VEC evaluation committee only met for the first time in November 09 and will not have the critical ethical and faith development information on these schools until 2011 at the earliest.

"The ongoing cost of the VEC model has also yet to be fully understood. It is estimated that a VEC school is on average 16% more expensive than its Educate Together managed equivalent, excluding capital costs. This equates to an additional €500,000 per school opened.

"The full cost to the state could well be higher as the Department has been unable to provide accurate figures for the pilot programme.

However, the new VEC community national schools were welcomed by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO).

Incoming general secretary Sheila Nunan said they had the potential to accommodate the provision of separate or common religious education programmes or none during the school day, in accordance with parental choice. 
(Sources: Irish Independent, Educate Together)