Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like other members, I welcome the witnesses. The statistics presented by them paint a stark picture. We realise that prior to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 there were 41 integrated schools and one new integrated school per year has been developed in the meantime. Some 71% of people surveyed by LucidTalk believe that integrated education should be the norm. Some 73% of those would support their children’s schools becoming integrated and 64% of the people surveyed attributed the slow growth to Northern Ireland’s political parties. At the same time I gather from one of the recent contributions that the majority of supporters of all political parties favour integrated education. There is a strong message from parents that they want the sector to be developed but it is obvious and clear that there has been no worthwhile state assistance.

Is the opposition at a political level in the department or at the level of officials? Or is it a combination of both? If the integrated education Bill is passed before the mandate of this Assembly expires, what can it achieve? Are there provisions within that legislation to make it mandatory for the Department to provide integrated education where there is a proven desire by parents for such a system? It is a huge lost opportunity not to be developing the integrated education sector. Many years ago I had the opportunity to visit Lagan College, which was established 40 years ago, and I saw first-hand the value of that college. Speaking to staff, pupils and former past pupils, I learned a great deal about it and about the value and contribution that college has made.