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

I thank the Minister and my colleagues on the committee for getting this Bill through the House. It has taken a number of years in this Dáil, but it also took years before that. It is major legislation. Last summer when the Taoiseach took over, Fianna Fáil, and in particular my party leader, said that we would facilitate its passage. We believed it to be a good, nice, easy win, given that a great deal of work had been done previously, but it has taken longer than expected. Of the five Bills that my leader proposed at the time, this is only the second that has passed. Both were education Bills, with the other being the Technological Universities Bill 2015.

We welcome this Bill's passage. It is radical legislation in some ways but, in others, it will not affect how many schools operate. It will give clarity to schools and children and result in a fairer education system without being an attack on the ethos of schools, which I value.

The Minister has at last found a good use for the Seanad, which he campaigned against. We will consider the provisions relating to Gaelscoileanna in the Seanad. I welcome the Minister's compromise in that regard. I look forward to working with him, other colleagues and the various interest groups to ensure that any amendment made is right, in everyone's best interests and does not have unforeseen consequences.

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