Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is difficult to cover in two minutes all that has been said. Of course everyone recognises that Ireland is changing, but we also start from a position where 95% of schools are denominated and 99% of schools are privately owned. What we are really discussing is how to address the absolute constitutional right of a child to opt out of the religious activities within the school, if he or she chooses. This is what we are trying to do and this is what my amendment provides for. Clearly, many people take the more radical view of taking religion out of schools altogether and not using schools for any form of religious instruction. These are legitimately held different points of view. I seek to develop the provision for children who want to opt out and to make sure it is a good provision. Over the last years, since the forum on patronage, good practice was indicated. The forum indicated good practice such as online lessons for the particular lesson of the child or staggering the times of the religion class so it could accommodate different children. It emphasised that each school should have its own approach and not a one size fits all approach, as some Deputies claim. It was also suggested that religion class could be put at the end of the school day, but the patronage discussion did not come out in favour of that idea because it meant that some parents would have to collect their children earlier, and it appeared that these children were being excluded from some of the school activities. This might not be optimal.

If we want to change this then we need consultation. We cannot suddenly decide in the House that we are going to impose a set of rules immediately. The patronage forum indicated the need for flexibility. There are some very good practices emerging within denominational schools that have to be respected. They are valuable.

Deputies raised many other issues. Deputy Thomas Byrne spoke about confining new schools to education and training boards, but this would exclude Educate Together and Gaelscoileanna. The system I continue to apply is an independent group, recommending that diversity is a requirement of the process, parental choice being allowed and patrons being allowed to apply. It does not mean that a majority patron can deliver diversity. Clearly a majority patron cannot meet one of the critical criteria if all the existing schools, or the vast majority, are of that denomination.

Deputy Michael Collins spoke about transparency. This is what the Bill is all about. It makes it absolutely clear there will be a written policy of admission. We will ban waiting lists and there will be openness. We will not use religion as a criterion for selection in Catholic schools. There will be much greater clarity but schools can still have the sibling rule, which can override the feeder school. The schools can decide. The schools will have published admissions policies, but each school will have freedom within it. If my amendment passes, religion will not be a criterion to exclude a child.

Unfortunately, I cannot do justice in two minutes to many of the points being raised.

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