Primate of All Ireland says he never met parents baptising children to enable them to enter certain school

The Primate of All-Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Eamon Martin, has said there should be a more plural offering of schools in Ireland.

Speaking on Countrywide,  RTÉ Radio One Dr Martin said it was very rare that a school will use the criterion of baptism.

"It is not even on the books for a Catholic school and I think that could easily be removed, that criterion for Baptism.

"I would not like to think that Baptism was some kind of a stamp that you had to get to get into a school" he said.

He said "alot of people on the ground" value Catholic schools and the Catholic ethos.

He said he didn't accept that all Catholic schools should be closed, but said instead things should be allowed to evolve naturally and schools should be allowed to amalgamate.

He added that there is sometimes a misunderstanding as to what Catholic schools are about and that internationally people value the Catholic school ethos.

He acknowledged that some people in Ireland would like a completely secular school with no influence of religion, adding "I sometimes wonder is that not in itself an ideology." He said he hopes the Irish education system can evolve in a calm way.

He said in his 28 years of priesthood he has never encountered parents who he sensed were baptising their child in order to make them eligible for a certain school.