Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Yes. Historically, teacher training was very much aligned to particular traditions, even within the Catholic ethos. There were varying traditions in distinct geographical locations. Personally, I believe we must move to a teacher training paradigm that is more reflective of Irish society and more pluralist in its approach, while ensuring there are inherent guarantees for a minority ethos that probably needs a certain protection. This is evolving. As Irish society evolves, the restructuring of teacher training evolves. Even the debate about patronage is evolving. There has never really been a big debate in Ireland about patronage. It is about parents looking at their own religious beliefs and where they want their children to go in terms of religious formation-----