Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. I appreciate that it will be put before the next Oireachtas education committee, but this has already been discussed at length and quite substantially by the previous Oireachtas education committee, where it received unanimous support from all parties. Every member of the previous committee was supportive of the initiative. I met the Secretary General of the Department and his senior team on this matter during the lifetime of the previous Dáil. I will stop short of saying this is craved by parents who want an avenue. The board of management is a dead bolt at the end of the road, with no further avenue of appeal for parents, and this cannot continue. I am particularly interested to know the views of the Minister and whether he is supportive of the establishment of an ombudsman for education. At present we have an Ombudsman for Children, but this office does not adequately deal with the issues and challenges arising in the Department of Education and Skills.

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