Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

Tá áthas orm cúpla focal a rá ar an ábhar rí-thábhachtach seo. Tá mé ag roinnt mo chuid ama leis an Teachta Mattie McGrath.

Any discussion on diversification of primary education provision must begin with an acknowledgment of the tremendous contribution made to date by denominational schools. Clearly, it is impossible to quantify the entirety of the contribution made by these schools or by the church men and women and religious members who devoted their entire lives to educating generations of Irish people. We now know that a small cohort of these people betrayed public trust by committing unspeakable crimes, a fact which today, unfortunately, distorts current public opinion on the enormously valuable work done by religious communities at a time when the State had neither the capacity nor the resources to meet the educational needs of its people.

In the boards of management, staff groupings and parents' associations within the Church of Ireland community and Roman Catholic schools throughout the length and breadth of Ireland there is a corpus of knowledge and experience which is invaluable to the educational welfare of our children. However traumatised we may be by recent revelations, we must be proportionate in our assessment and ensure that the best interest of all our children is served.

Over the past decade, growing secularism, a changing socio-economic demographic and far greater urbanisation, together with a reawakening of interest in Irish culture and the Irish language, have brought the rapid emergence of two new strong and effective players in primary education provision. The growth in the number and spread of Educate Together schools and gaelscoileanna has been significant. Educate Together and An Foras Patrúntachta have demonstrated an impressive commitment and ability to manage schools and respond to an ever-growing public demand. Although the cynics in Irish society may raise questions about the extent to which these schools have achieved high levels of social integration, that contention would be hotly contested by the patrons of these schools.

It is important to limit the number of patron bodies approved as providers at both primary and secondary level while at the same time recognising the need to provide as much parental choice as is practicable and equitable in the best interests of all of our children. To that end, the work being done by Educate Together and An Foras Patrúntachta should continue to be supported and promoted. We also must recognise the strong commitment of the Church of Ireland community in maintaining its small network of excellent schools across the country.

Notwithstanding everything that has happened, we need to recognise that a substantial number of Irish parents continue to seek a Catholic education for their children and while acknowledging that the Roman Catholic Church may no longer have the capacity to deliver this service in as many locations as previously - this challenge will grow if vocations continue to decline - we must have regard to the manner in which Catholic provision has developed in other countries such as the United States and Britain. Put simply, we must ensure that in any new dispensation we create, Catholic education does not become the exclusive preserve of a few.

I am convinced that integration and equality must be the cornerstones of any new system of education provision. Schools for the most part operate at the heart of local communities. It is vital we have full consultation at local level between all the partners in education.

I salute the VEC sector, which since the 1930s has shown itself to be a system that is flexible, innovative, caring and inclusive. At a time when we talk much about the need for public service reform, it is appropriate to say that the VEC sector is an example of public service success. It will show through the community national school programme that it has the capacity to successfully expand its operations into the primary sector to the advantage of its student cohort.

Having had 25 years experience in the area of education at post-primary and primary level, I can attest to the fact that the VEC model is admirably open and accountable and has the benefit of also being a democratic forum. I acknowledge the need to rationalise the sector, most notably in the reduction of the overall numbers of VECs, but I suggest to the House it can become a major player in primary school provision. It would be my personal wish to see VECs developed into local education authorities that could administer and co-ordinate all State education provision, including preschool education, while simultaneously recognising and supporting the existence and ethos of the current primary providers.

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