Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I would not call the review very independent because it was an independent review in partnership with the National Parents Council Post-Primary, but it was the Minister's Department that appointed the company to carry the review. I would not call that very independent. If one is looking for an independent review, there has to be agreement on both sides and terms and conditions drawn up. The information I have received is that the Department went off and carried out its own review. I think that is totally unfair. The National Parents Council Post-Primary might have had issues in the past but it has ironed out those issues and its auditors have given a clean bill of health both on the financial statements and on the legal side. It has had investigations from the Revenue Commissioners, the CRO, the CR and the Corporate Enforcement Authority and has gotten a clean bill of health. These are bodies the Department of Education should recognise and it should be able to move on. If some of the officials in the Minister's Department have issues regarding the National Parents Council Post-Primary, we have to move on from that. I think it should be funded. Funding has been delayed. This has not just been an issue this year but it has been an ongoing issue for the past number of years. It states it has had a clean bill of health.

I am not sure if the Minister has met with the National Parents Council Post-Primary, but I understand she has met the National Parents Council Primary. I would plead with the Minister, as Minister, that she meet it as head of the Department of Education. This is really important from an organisational point of view. It represents parents and guardians of thousands of children up and down the country. At a time when it has launched its own five-year development plan, it cannot even have a discussion with some of the Department officials on this document.