A forum on religion in primary school admissions is to take place at the end of the month.

It will be the second such forum on the issue in recent years.

In a statement Minister for Education Richard Bruton said the forum would be part of a consultation process that is currently ongoing on the issue.

Campaigning group Atheist Ireland said the current consultation process is the 11th national consultation exercise that has taken place on the issue of religion and/or school admission policies in the past six years.

However, none of the consultations have resulted in changes in the role religion plays in the school admissions process.

It comes as the Dáil is to debate a bill aimed at eliminating discrimination against non-Catholic children in primary schools.

The bill, which is being tabled by Solidarity, removes the legal clause known as the baptism barrier that allows schools to discriminate against children of other religions or none in admissions.

It would also move religious instruction and faith formation classes outside core school hours.

Speaking at a media event to highlight the bill, Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger said there was a growing, irresistible momentum behind moves to delete the baptism barrier.

She criticised "yet another" consultation process by the Department of Education on the matter and said most of the proposals put forward by the department for public consultation were unworkable.

Parent Roopesh Panicker, whose daughter was denied admission to local primary schools because she is Hindu, said he could see no political will to change the situation from the mainstream parties.

He said those parties were serving vested interests.

Sarah Lennon of parents' group Education Equality said the State was allowing discrimination to happen. She criticised Government for what she called "a lot of noise, but no action".

The bill will be introduced in the Dáil tomorrow evening, and voted on on Thursday.

The Department of Education has said the Government will be opposing the bill.

It also said aspects of the bill would have unintended consequences.