Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

No parent should have to baptise his or her child simply to get him or her into a school. All children, regardless of religious denomination or outlook, should have access to a school in their local community. Therefore, I will not support the Bill. It is unconstitutional and would discriminate against the right of schools to defend their ethos. About 20% of schools in the country are oversubscribed and they are the most active in employing admissions processes and selection criteria based on religious background. This is wrong. However, simply deleting section 7(3) of the Equal Status Act in the manner proposed is too simplistic and would endanger the right of minority faith schools to defend their ethos. At the time, the section was inserted with the intention of protecting the right of minority faith schools, in particular, to defend their ethos.

Our approach is constructive and would not infringe on the rights or identity of minority faith schools. Selection processes should be based on catchment area, where children from the catchment area get preferential access. I favour the introduction of selection criteria for oversubscribed schools, based on locality and catchment area, whereby children living in newly-designated school catchment areas would be prioritised. However, I do not believe that schools should be able to give admission to children of their own denominational background from outside their catchment area in preference to children of a different denomination from inside their catchment area.

Catchment areas could be sized according to the availability of schools of different ethos. This would mean that catchment areas could be sized according to the popularity of the school's ethos. For example, Presbyterian schools would have an extremely wide catchment for admissions as there are so few of these schools in the country. This would protect them as minority denominational schools. This would mean that a situation could not occur where a child from outside an area could be considered for a school place before a child from the local area, even if the local child is not of the denominated belief.

In addition, a new schools admissions appeals body should be established in the Department of Education and Skills to which parents who suspect their child has been discriminated against during the admissions process of a school would have recourse for appeal and investigation. There are many minority schools in my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. They include Bailieborough model national school, Cabra Central national school in Kingscourt and Monaghan model school, which have all expressed serious concerns because removing section 7(3) of the Equal Status Act would provide absolutely no protection for minority denominational schools. Ultimately, the reason for the insertion of section 7(3) in the first place was explicitly to provide equal status to protect schools of minority ethos. What Solidarity-PBP proposes would mean obliterating this section and would completely disregard all of the schools' concerns.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle as ucht an deis chun cainte ar an topaic seo anocht. Tá Sinn Féin ag tacú leis an mBille seo. Tá sé leagtha amach i bhforógra mo pháirtí go bhfuilimid i gcoinne aon chineál idirdhealú. Aithníonn an páirtí gur cheart bunúsach é ceart oideachais. Aithníonn an páirtí go bhfuil an tromlach de scoileanna sa tír seo ag déanamh a seacht ndícheall le bheith cothrom ina bpolasaí iontrálacha. Tá sé soiléir go mbaineann an topaic de idirdhealú reiligiúnda le scoileanna atá lán, go háirithe i gceantair uirbeacha. De réir tuairisc a d'fhoilsíodh in 2012 ón bhForam Pátrúnachta a bhaineann leis an mbunrannóg, tá 96% de bhunscoileanna faoi thionchar pátrúnachta.

The increasing diversity of our population has led to increased demands for an education system that is reflective of all trends within our society and that ensures equal treatment of all children. The Equal Status Act 2000 states that schools can refuse admission to a student on the basis that it is necessary to maintain the ethos of the school. Emerging evidence shows that when a school is oversubscribed, as approximately 20% of all schools in Ireland are, the religion of the child seeking admission to school can be a determining factor as to whether the child is admitted.

This situation has been highlighted by several representative groups and bodies such as the Teachers Union of Ireland, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, the Ombudsman for Children and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. All of them have criticised the fact that the Equal Status Act 2000 gives schools considerable scope to refuse admission or exclude and have called for a provision to be amended or repealed in order to fulfil the rights of the child.

Sinn Féin believes that the right of a child to receive an education within reasonable conditions and without discrimination must be the paramount consideration in determining our approach to this issue, and it must be an approach that is respectful of all views because this is a contentious issue and we have to be respectful.

Sinn Féin believes in and strives to achieve an inclusive Ireland where all cultural and religious traditions are valued and respected. We believe that an inclusive education system where children learn about different faiths, ethics, morals and religions and grow in an atmosphere of mutual tolerance and respect is the key cornerstone in achieving this type of society. We believe it is important to send out a clear message that discrimination in any form will not be tolerated and that all children should be treated equally in terms of access to education. Sinn Féin, therefore, will be supporting this Bill and we encourage the Government to act on this issue and to ensure that full equality for all children can be achieved.

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