Education Minister Batt O’Keefe has said he “is not certain” whether Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and Bishop Leo O’Reilly, the Chair of the Hierarchy’s Education Commission, are “in unison” on the issue of the future of Catholic schools.

Minister O’Keefe was speaking in the Dail yesterday where he did not rule out holding a public forum on the future of school patronage, or ownership, but he said “considerable further thought must be given to the timing and format of such an event.”

The Minister said he had met Archbishop Martin and Bishop O’Reilly separately to discuss Church-run schools and he was not sure whether they were of the same view on the matter.

He said: “It is only right and fair that we get a clear indication from the Catholic Church of its views on patronage across the country.”

On a number of occasions Archbishop Martin has said he would be willing in theory to transfer patronage of a number of Catholic schools in Dublin, although he has said he does not yet have any specific schools in mind.

Bishop O’Reilly has also indicated that the Church would be willing to reduce its involvement in schools but he has said so on fewer occasions than Archbishop Martin.

Labour’s education spokesman, Ruairi Quinn, and Fine Gael spokesman, Brian Hayes, both reiterated that they support a forum on the matter of patronage.