Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the reverend gentlemen. In my town of Athy, County Kildare we have a Presbyterian church and there is a good active community there.

Many matters need to be addressed in Belfast and throughout Northern Ireland, but I see the main issue as education. I was delighted to hear the three reverend gentlemen talk about education here. I would see it as a lost opportunity in the North for generations if all of the other issues in the North had to be fixed before education became a priority. It is a priority for all the young people of Belfast. I have visited the city on numerous occasions and been disappointed to learn of the state of education services within the city. Perhaps the reverend gentlemen might be able to give us an overview of the attitude of families to education. In the South the strength of the education system comes from the family seeking the best for their sons and daughters. This follows through in the mechanisms of parents councils, parents associations and everything else. What is the position in Belfast in that regard? Irrespective of the obstacles and problems in society, one would imagine that the strength of families in seeking the best for their children would overcome these issues.

Another factor that comes across strongly in visits to Belfast is the lack of public representation in areas in which there are poor education services. These areas seem to lack public representation; there are no representatives in the Northern Irish Assembly residing in areas in which these educational problems are to be found. Is this an issue? How strong is family support in these areas to ensure young people will have an equal opportunity to do the best for themselves? That is the key issue. If we can ensure education is the priority, many of the problems will be overcome. Education will improve many aspects of life in Northern Ireland.