The denomination influences the ethos, although in subjects other than religion a standard curriculum is prescribed by the Department of Education for all publicly funded schools.
In addition, the prevalence of Catholic schools is questioned in light of Ireland's changing demographic profile brought about by secularisation and immigration since the Celtic Tiger.
The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, has expressed a desire to divest the archdiocese of some of its schools to provide more choice for non-Catholic parents.
In Ireland, the vast majority of the country's primary schools are owned or managed (or both) by religious organisations.
[10] In June 2009 and referring obliquely to the events of Diswellstown the previous year (in which the children of parents who were not Catholic, mostly immigrants to the country, were refused entry to the local primary school, producing a group of largely non-white children who had no school to attend)[11][12] the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, said that the current denominational system is "not tenable" and that "the current almost monopoly is a historical hangover that doesn't reflect the realities of the times"[13] and has called for the Catholic Church to cede control of many schools.
[14] The Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, however, supports denominational education, as does The Iona Institute, a small organisation based in Dublin which campaigns upon a range of issues of interest to conservative Christians.
[22] Traditionally Muslim students have attended Christian schools and received Islamic training, separately.