John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate on student behaviour and discipline. As the last person from a group of five to speak, I note that all the good points have been made. Deputy Cregan nearly echoed my sentiments word for word and the €27 million has been referred to.

Deputy Enright stated last night:

The Department guidelines entitled, Towards a Positive Policy for School Behaviour and Discipline, were published in circular M33/91 in 1991. It is time to revisit the guidelines and make changes where necessary.

I agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy. The report of the task force will allow for the types of structural changes required and there will be quality research to guide us in making those changes.

On first reading the motion, one might think there is a crisis. There is a long standing problem, but we should not consider the matter in terms of crisis, nor should we regard the Minister's setting up of the task force as a response to a crisis. She mentioned specifically last night that she set it up in the first instance because she recognised the potential for indiscipline to become a serious problem. She was asked to set up the task force by the unions, including ASTI and the TUI, and she was swift in doing so. She said she established the task force not because student disruption is at crisis level in our schools but to ensure that we spread examples of best practice more widely. The Department has the right polices and supports in place to enable schools to provide a positive learning environment for all students.

Circumstances have changed significantly since the early 1980s when corporal punishment was banned. Some Members, such as Deputy Enright, went to school at a time when there was no corporal punishment.

See this speech in context