THE head of the Catholic Church in Ireland turned down a ministerial offer to discuss a shake-up of teacher training.
Employment and Learning minister Dr Stephen Farry said he wanted to meet Archbishop Eamon Martin but the request was declined.
The independent Aspiring to Excellence report put forward options for reform, ranging from a collaboration in which St Mary's and Stranmillis university colleges continue as autonomous institutions in an enhanced partnership, to a single Northern Ireland institute of education.
The minister believes the existing system of separate teacher-training providers is unsustainable.
In February this year, the Executive blocked his plans to cut the £2.2 million subsidy that St Mary's and `Stran' receive on top of core funding.
He was warned this would sound the "death knell" for the institutions but maintained it was not his intention to use the cut in 'premia' payments to "force through some agenda", insisting it was simply a matter of budget pressures.
After his ministerial colleagues overturned the planned cut, however, Dr Farry said the Executive had "continued to divert scarce resources into propping up an unsustainable and segregated system".
He added that he would be pursuing reform of the teacher training.
The minister has now revealed that he wanted to meet Archbishop Martin to discuss the Aspiring to Excellence report.
DUP North Down assembly member Alex Easton tabled assembly questions asking the minister to detail what conversations he had with St Mary's and Bishop Noel Treanor, chair of St Mary's governors, regarding the Certificate in Religious Education, which is required if a teacher wants to work in a Catholic primary school.
The 79-page Aspiring to Excellence only briefly touched upon the certificate.
At St Mary's, students can elect to take the certificate course as part of their initial teacher education. However, students attending Stranmillis University College must complete a programme provided by the University of Glasgow, if they wish to be qualified to teach in Catholic primary or nursery schools.
"The panel questions whether such variation is acceptable or fair," the report read.
Dr Farry, who also represents North Down, told Mr Easton that his most recent conversations with Bishop Treanor took place on October 5, 2011 and January 25 2012.
"However, more recently, the Certificate in Religious Education has featured in my discussions with representatives of St Mary's University College as part of the wider discussions arising from the two stage review of initial teacher education infrastructure and the Aspiring to Excellence report of the international review panel," he said.
"I also requested a meeting with the Archbishop of Armagh earlier this year to discuss the Aspiring to Excellence report. Unfortunately the request was declined."
The Department for Employment and Learning last night added that the Archbishop declined the minister's offer, "requesting that the minister instead engage directly" with St Mary's.
The Catholic Church declined to comment last night.
