Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join with Senator Boyhan in welcoming all the representatives here. I thank the four people who spoke. The people I have heard were outstanding.

I will hone in on two contributions, and I am sure my colleagues will have questions for Ms Anderson. I support all of Senator Boyhan's comments and I will not repeat most of what he has said.

Like Mr. Taylor, I am a product of a co-educational school, which is the wonderful St. Aidan's Comprehensive School in Cootehill. It was very important because I went to school at the height of the violence and conflict in Northern Ireland. We had all religions and all social classes, rural and urban, all under the one roof there. We had a very progressive and modern new teaching staff, which was a pioneering concept then. It was a wonderful experience. I agree with Mr. Taylor in everything he has said that it is a wonderful experience to be educated with other people. It is the essence of education to develop tolerance, awareness of others, and sensitivity to others. As Mr. Taylor said at the end of his contribution, education is meaningless otherwise.

Forgive my ignorance of this but we are all here to learn. Where is the integrated education Bill at now? What do the representatives know about that? How much do the witnesses sense among the public that they would go for integrated schools now? Is the development of momentum there? There is a good thing going here with Educate Together. It will be interesting to hear what the witnesses have to say on this.

A lot of what Mr. Quigley said resonated with me and it was very interesting. I agree with everything he said in that we must be gradual, that we have to be inclusive, and that Irish unity is not a zero-sum game. It is not about getting 51% or getting 52%. It is about getting way beyond that and getting a whole willingness and interest in unity, and a passion and agreement for it. When young people are talking to the witnesses what kinds of concepts or structures would they like? Young people are part of Ireland. What way do young people see themselves being fitted into a united Ireland? Do the witnesses have any ideas on that? Do not worry if not but if they do I would be interested in that.

What are the things that Mr. Quigley's age group find the worst about us, or what is it they fear about us, rightly or wrongly? I take Senator Boyhan's point. The Senator is such a broad-minded person and he says what his good experiences were here. That is not the point. The point is, what do the young people think is bad about us?