Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that but given the likely duration of this Dáil, the Minister has suggested a full year of consideration having had five years of consideration during the previous Dáil and more consideration during previous Dáileanna. The net point is that it is good on the whole to ensure children have a reasonable opportunity to attend school in their own neighbourhood and to make friends and all that that involves. That is provided there is no shortage of school places, which is a different scenario that can only be addressed by building more schools or expanding existing schools. Parents should not be put in a false position whereby to secure a reasonable objective they end up, perhaps against their personal wishes, having to have their child baptised. People of religious faith do not like that either. Should we not give primacy to diversity and inclusion, which many of the patron bodies have been brilliant at providing for?

See this speech in context