Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

As regards the Minister's initial net point, that has been Fine Gael policy since the late 1990s, so we are coming from the same perspective in that sense. What does the Minister intend to achieve through the publication of league tables? I take his point that the current method of compiling such tables, by using information obtained from third level institutions through the Freedom of Information Act, gives us a one-sided approach. What does the Minister intend to do if a school is doing particularly well in the league tables? Obviously, the fear for such a school is that it may receive less funding. Likewise, if a school is faring poorly, will the tables be used as a yardstick for assessing a school's failure to put other matters in place?

Does the Minister agree they could be used to assess the Department in terms of what it provides to schools, for example, PE halls and the implementation of the junior certificate science syllabus, which all schools were not in a position to implement? If schools are evaluated, they should be judged on whether they can offer the entire curriculum. Will the Minister confirm whether league tables will assess a student's baseline as he or she enters school and follow him or her through the system so that a fair result can be achieved? A school in a disadvantaged area cannot be compared to a fee paying school, which does not take in students from all backgrounds. How will the Minister ensure fairness in this regard?

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