Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I agree with the Taoiseach about pre-schools and primary schools in particular. Tribute is due to the teachers who do such a splendid job. I speak for some of the schools in my constituency where the commitment of teachers is remarkable. The Taoiseach is right about the schools. The difficulty is outside the school gate. We would be at least complacent to believe there are no problems outside of the school gate.

Deputy Kenny has raised an extremely interesting issue about integration. It seems we do not attach the same significance to policies in the direction of integration as we do to other aspects of immigration. Hundreds of small companies cannot believe their good fortune that they have educated labour available to them prepared to work overtime without being paid overtime. Keep it coming. That is fine. However, we do not attach enough significance to policy in the area of integration and societal implications. Deputy Kenny has asked an important question. It is an oversight that there is no representative of the new ethnic groups on this citizenship task force. We cannot really state that the churches or trade unions can be expected to adequately represent that point of view. There ought to be direct representation of the new Irish on the committee.

Is there a timescale by which it is envisaged the task force will have completed its task? Does the Taoiseach accept that a core element of citizenship is the franchise? Will the committee under Mary Davis examine the issue of voter decline? I wish Mary Davis well and I know she will do an extremely good job.

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