More than two thirds of parents want the sacraments taught to their children during school hours, according to a new survey. 

The finding comes after the Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn, had suggested that preparation for the sacraments was taking up too much class time. 

The survey, commissioned by the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) and conducted by Red C, found that 67pc of parents with children under 16, when asked when preparation and instruction for the sacraments should be taught, agreed that it should be taught within school hours, with 31pc saying it should be taught outside the school day.

For adults with no dependent children, 64pc said that children should receive sacramental instruction during school hours, with 34pc disagreeing, and two percent having no opinion or not answering.

Among all adults surveyed, 64pc felt that the sacraments should be taught during the school day, with 34pc disagreeing. Two per cent had no opinion or didn’t answer.

The survey, which was conducted among 729 adults aged 18-54 in March, also found that 27pc of parents with children under 16 wanted their children to attend a Catholic school. Twenty per cent of adults without children said they would send their children to a Catholic school.

Among all adults, 23pc indicated that they would choose to send their children to a Catholic school.

In a RedC poll commissioned by the Iona Institute in 2008, showed that 47pc of all adults would opt for a Catholic school given a choice of schools.

The choices were: a Catholic school; a State run school where all religions are taught; a school in which no religion is taught; and a school run by another religious organisation.

The IPPN-commissioned survey offered respondents the choice of a VEC which taught religion during the day, a school run by a multi-denominational group which facilitates for the instruction of all religions outside school hours, a school run directly by the State which provides for religious instruction outside school hours and a Catholic school.

The most popular option among all groups, parents, non parents and the group as a whole was a school owned and managed by a Vocational Education Committee (VEC), with 30pc of all groups choosing this.

Twenty two percent of all adults chose the State-run model, but only 20pc of parents with dependent children chose this option. This rose to 25pc among adults with no dependent children.

Twenty four percent of all adults, and 24pc of those with no children chose the multidenominational model, which is provided by Educate Together. Twenty five percent of adults without dependent children chose this model.