Updated 08.15

Educate Together have been confirmed as the patrons at five of nine new secondary schools planned for 2015 / 2016.

The Minister for Education made the announcement this morning.

The new schools will provide additional places for up to 7,300 students in parts of Cork, Cavan, Dublin and North Wicklow.

Five of the new schools will cater for up to 1,000 students each.

The facilities will be run under the patronage of Educate Together, the local Education and Training Board the Edmund Rice Schools Trust while one will be run with involvement of the Catholic Bishop of Cloyne.

Four of the five schools will be run directly by Educate Together, a fifth will be run in conjunction with the ETB.

Educate Together were announced as patrons of three other schools last year, each of those expected to open in 2014 - those schools will become the first secondary schools under Educate Together patronage.