Mr. John Curtis:

The ethos can be retained in a number of ways. It is retained through the fact that we have the right to maintain them as faith schools, not just Catholic schools. What is important is the reality on the ground where the practice of our schools is hugely inclusive and reflects what is going on at community level. It is that practice that should be looked at. It is what is in place that should be recognised. That is why, in the context of legislation coming into this sphere, we are perhaps a little worried about what it might entail. We have a very diverse schooling system in this country. It is great on one level. There is great diversity in the second level system which works relatively well. In truth, we have few enough problems on the ground in this area. The few problems we have with oversubscription have to do more with resources than anything else. It is in that context that we make our point.