Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise a couple of points. I think our system lays too much emphasis on parental choice. That is a huge driver of inequality in our system because parents who are well organised can use the system to the advantage of their children over those of parents who are less organised or are disadvantaged. I represent a developing area where there is a lot of disadvantage. I have dealt with a constituent who had to walk 40 minutes to a Catholic school because she could not get her child into the Educate Together school right beside her. The first come, first served policy can discriminate against Travellers or immigrants or people who are disadvantaged although it does not always work out that way.

My favourite model is the multidenominational State model but it is my experience, in my constituency, that Catholic schools are some of the most inclusive for those who are disadvantaged, or for Travellers. I am not saying that is always the case but I want to balance the picture. I am aware of classes in the local Catholic school in which a third of the pupils are Muslims but that would not arise in the Educate Together schools. In my area there are Educate Together schools which are emergent schools and have significant numbers of disadvantaged and immigrant pupils.

I do not encounter the parental rule in my constituency but I know that Travellers suffer discrimination because they do not enrol their children as babies in the local school which has a first come, first served policy. People who move into the area also face discrimination and disadvantage. Do the witnesses have any views on that? What about other enrolment policies such as the first come, first served policy? Would Ms Ní Fhrighil like to respond to the latest questions?