Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

The Education (Amendment) Bill 2012 has passed through the other House and if memory serves me correctly, it will be introduced to this House next week at which time Members will have an opportunity to discuss this issue. I share the Deputy's concerns because many professional bodies, including my own, namely, the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, have different rates of contribution for those who are unemployed, work part-time or are retired. However, the commencement of section 30, which is what the aforementioned Bill will do, will enable the Teaching Council to act as a professional body in a way that it has not been able to do previously. I certainly do not regard the Teaching Council as a quango and the Secretary of State for Education in the United Kingdom was wrong in abolishing its equivalent.

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