The Archdiocese of Dublin has announced it is postponing a vote on the divestment of schools in North county Dublin after significant resistance was expressed last week by parents and teachers.

It will delay the vote until a survey of parents of pre-school children in the area is published. It also said it is vital that all stakeholders are fully informed of what a change in patronage entails.

The Minister for Education, Joe McHugh also said last week the Department would review the process of divestment.

Meanwhile, one school gave a strong response to the Minister’s remarks. In a letter to the Minister, the board of management of Scoil An Duinnínigh rejected claims that it was scaremongeing over warnings that religious events like Christmas would not be celebrated.

“Christmas is marked along with other festivals in multidenominational schools, but in a Catholic school Christmas is celebrated. The children sing carols, draw and craft religious items, listen to readings from the Bible and so forth,” the letter states.

“Are you guaranteeing that this will continue in school time no matter which patronage body is eventually selected as the one for the divested school?”

It added that it was “frustrated and annoyed” over the divestment process, with “absolutely no information coming from the Government”.