Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I come from a very traditional background. I am happy to say that the people I represent have no trouble seeing how important it is that everybody's views are looked after. I have only a couple of minutes at my disposal for something I would like to spend an hour on.

I have had children and grandchildren going through the educational system. The central issue is that they be educated in a natural and trustworthy environment. Deputy Quinn mentioned the local aspect, which is very important. Ultimately, the issue must be parent-based. Deputy Brian Hayes goes to much trouble in this respect. There should be a some kind of audit or survey of the parents in Ireland before any change is made and I am sure the Tánaiste will take this on board to some degree when the stakeholders are brought together. Some people may be surprised at the information coming from such a survey, although I would not. It would be a mirror image of the debate I have heard today involving people from all parties and none.

Some people think the correct action is to immediately eliminate the Catholic Church from the system but nothing could be further from the truth. There is room for new people, along with their views and aspirations, etc. We must embrace this and there is no great trouble in doing so. The VECs have proved such an approach over the years at second level. I am amazed at what the VECs have done, with it going unheralded much of the time. They deal with many people who would have a very poor chance in life had they not got a start in education.

Ultimately, I have no idea how the process will pan out. When Archbishop Diarmuid Martin indicated the church was prepared to hand over schools, I know exactly what he was talking about; it must be done in certain areas. Nobody is talking about getting rid of what has been an outstanding input to this day, taking in the years since the Famine, the hungry 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. To take the Catholic Church from the boards of management would necessitate much time and billions of euro to replace it.

This debate is very important. I hope we will have a system in which parents will be satisfied that, when their children are not in the living room, they will be in a place as near to it as possible, namely, school, that they are being taught by people who parents can trust and that the values being taught are sufficiently sound to allow their children to develop into people who can make their own way in life irrespective of their parents' income levels. The important element of the story is that we should give everyone as great a chance as we can, which is not too far from the Tánaiste's motto.

We look forward with great interest to seeing how this matter develops. I suppose that, when parents get a real say in what they want their children to do, there will be some changes in many places, but people in most of the country will not want significant changes as long as the standard of education is at the expected level. It is all about standards and input from the stakeholders.

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