Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

Fine Gael education spokesman Brian Hayes called on the Catholic Church to hand over its school property and lands to the State. Mr Hayes argued that having the schools at such an arm's length from the State put unacceptable pressure on patrons to maintain schools.

'The State should simply lease out buildings to various educational providers, but ultimately be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of those schools,' he said. Calling for a new model of patronage, Mr Hayes said there should be a national survey of all parents to determine the preferred options for change, and a national forum on education to deal with the issues of ownership, control and patronage.