Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I cannot understand why the Minister is proposing that 25% of places would be set aside. I do not know what the justification for that is. I heard him say that continuity is important and that we ought to protect the continuity. We can replace the word "continuity" with the word "elitism", and that is essentially what this is about - that elitism ought to be protected. I am horrified at the Minister proposing that 25% of places would be reserved. There is no justification whatsoever for that. This can only perpetuate inequality in education.

Our education system is very much a two-tier system and many of us would be of the view that there is a need to change the way in which the private school system is funded - that it is about maintaining elitism. The idea of reserving 25% of places for sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of people who have attended a school is nonsense. There cannot be any justification for that. It directly discriminates against people who, for example, have recently moved into the area. It directly discriminates against people who come here from abroad. It very much discriminates against, for example, people whose parents did not go to secondary school. I cannot understand how the Minister can possibly stand over a discriminatory arrangement like this that is about protecting elitism within the education system.

As there is absolutely no justification for it, I really appeal to the Minister to rethink this proposal.