Dr. Niall Muldoon:

I went looking for the scale and I could not find any research that tells us. I think we are right to say we have two admissions cycles done since it came in to being. We should have it. I had hoped that last week, the joint managerial board might have some figures, but it just said limited or small number. That is crucial. We should have those figures to hand to try to make a decision.

At the same time, one child discriminated against on this basis is too many. Dr. Doyle outlined very well that we are in situations where this will be perpetuated. The parents of children who come from direct provision and abroad will not have reached the criteria and the families will be disadvantaged for the next two generations. We need to make sure we stamp it out and move it to a situation in which it is much more available to all children.

The Deputy asked about the form of the criteria. A number of criteria are already there that do not need this one. One can get two, three or four criteria that are in the locality. The idea of education is to be local and available to those who live here and various other criteria. If one moves to a lottery, everybody is equal. It is never ideal. A lottery is far from ideal. However, if that is what one is left with, then it is equally available to all children. That is the key to the future, as far as I am concerned.