Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister has announced today that a technical study is being carried out. That has come as news to me, as a member of the Joint Committee on Education and Skills. We had decided to do a technical study because Peter Cassells recommended it . This is a new departure from the Minister. The best thing to do is that the Department fund an expert who joint committee would then hire through public tender who would then carry out a technical study. That would be the best and most independent way of doing it. We need resources to do that. I agree that it should be done fairly. It is shocking that the Minister would announce that this is going ahead given that all previous replies were that every issue relating to the Cassells report was being referred to the Oireachtas committee.

See this speech in context