The government is being urged to make progress on the divestment of schools to other patrons.

Chairman of the forum on patronage and pluralism, Prof John Coolahan, has told the Irish Times the Department of Education needs to push the Catholic Church on the issue to hurry things along.

Former minister for education Ruairí Quinn announced a process he hoped would lead to the immediate divestment of up to 50 Catholic primary schools around the country in 2012.

But Joe Humphreys, Education Correspondent with the Irish Times, says no Catholic schools have so far been transfered to new patronage: