New proposals could see religious education taken off the core curriculum for primary schools.

Instead schools will have the freedom to decide how much time should be spent teaching it as part of 'flexible time'.

Under the proposals - set to be launched by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment next month - 60 percent of the school day should be set aside for teaching the core subjects of English, Irish and Maths.

Education editor with the Irish Times Carl O'Brien says the move could be controversial: