Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I join other Senators in welcoming the Taoiseach's attempt to engage the Opposition party leaders in talks on the extent of the financial crisis and the economic recession. The Opposition is right to approach the talks with caution. The failed economic policies of the Taoiseach and his Government colleagues, who have been in power for over 13 years, have brought about the crisis we are in. We have to be careful in how we deal with the Taoiseach's request for the Opposition to help him to solve this crisis, while he and his colleagues remain in office. Having said that, it is important for the Opposition leaders to engage with the Government in this regard.

I ask the Leader for a debate on prisons in the context of the economic crisis. Senator Cummins and I have been calling for such a debate for some time. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, in Britain will make a speech today about the spending cuts he intends to introduce. The UK Ministry of Justice will be among the hardest hit departments in that country. I understand that Mr. Osborne will propose a fall-off in prison places and a reduction in spending on prisons in order to cut costs. We can learn from that here because our prison places are extremely costly. Many people are serving time in prison for the non-payment of fines and minor offences even though cheaper options which are better for the rehabilitation of offenders are available to us. The recent disturbances in Mountjoy Prison may have taught us that we need to reconsider the issue of prison reform and the possibility of cutting the costs associated with our prison system a progressive way. I would welcome a debate on this issue, particularly as we need to know what is happening with Thornton Hall, which is currently no more than a road and a wall. Will the construction of this white elephant of a prison go ahead? If so, at what immense cost to the Exchequer will it be built?

I join Senator O'Toole in calling for a debate on education, with particular reference to the need for more multidenominational school places to be made available at primary and secondary levels. We have campaigned on this issue for a long time. I remind the House that the wishes of parents are not being respected in many ways. Under the Constitution, parents have the right to ensure their children do not attend a school with a religious ethos that is against their conscience and lawful preference. Given that over 90% of our primary schools are Catholic-run, we should face the fact that many parents are being forced to send their children to schools with an ethos with which they do not agree. We should have a debate on the reality of school provision and on the need to consider other models, such as the transformation of patronage model.