Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Some of the reservations people in education have about the Minister's appointment do not relate to any lack of ability, competence or understanding of the education system. Our nervousness is that when a conservative Department meets a conservative Minister, the possibility of a radical overhaul of our education system may be affected. Such an overhaul could lead to having equality at the centre of the system and addressing its constitutional underpinning, which ensures that we do not really have a State education system. We will not necessarily have the opportunity to deal with that in a radical way. I was hoping that the proposed citizens' assembly could deal with the constitutional underpinning of the education system. In her response, the Minister did not give a timeline as to when the Citizens' Assembly will meet. I ask again what is the Minister's ambition for its establishment, sitting and terms of reference? I am sure she has an opinion on the matter.

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