The fallout from the Cloyne, Ryan and Dublin Report will be evidenced in a drop in the number of parents sending their children to Catholic schools, according to multi-denominational school group Educate Together. The group is expecting a 10 per cent increase in enrolments this year, which its chief executive Paul Rowe said could be partly attributed to the recent controversies in the Church.
Mr Rowe told the Irish Examiner: ''We have a growing population, we have less schools in the education system than we need, and people are looking for alternatives to what was previously available after the controversies they have seen.''
The group which was founded as an alternative to the Catholic Church-dominated State system in 1984 has more than 10,000 children enrolled in 56 schools nationwide. It has applied to the department for a further 45 facilities to be certified.
''According to the Census people of no religion are one of the largest minorities in the State, we need to consider that fact,'' Mr Rowe said.
Meanwhile, almost 2,000 people have signed up to a new website where disaffected Catholics can register their desire to leave the Faith.
An online 'Declaration of Defection' has been completed by 1962 people on the Count me out website, set up following the release of the damning Ryan Report two months ago.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
SIC: IC