Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

In the Minister's second reply, she stated the Archbishop of Dublin is the biggest individual patron of schools in the country. Each bishop is a patron in his own right and is able to give a different response, which will reflect the diversity of the country. Dr. Diarmuid Martin said he felt he had too many schools for the Catholic community he serves and he came to the Department to suggest the best way forward to identify the schools that would no longer be under his patronage would be to establish an open forum. The archbishop believes in transparency but the Department, and the Minister, seem to be frightened of this.

I believe, and the Labour Party believes, in parental choice. The reality in Dublin South-East, however, which has 27 schools is that there is a waiting list of 500 children, who have been denied their first choice of school and their parents must now send their child, if they are lucky, to another school in the area. The Minister is failing to address the second aspect of parental choice. The problem is not in the growing areas, it is in existing built up areas.

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