Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

With all due respect to the Deputy, who does not have the courtesy to wait to hear my response, in my experience, righteous indignation and rhetoric are no replacement for action and delivery. He has referred to a lack of investment in education, but the largest budget that has ever been made available to the education sector of in excess of €10 billion is a considerable investment. Last week, there was an announcement of a €32 million investment in DEIS, meaning that one in four of our students is now availing of DEIS supports in our schools. Some €17 million is being made available for the book rental scheme and there is a €20 million investment in the delivery of books, access to literature and promotion of same in our schools. In light of the challenge of Covid over the past two years, more than €860 million has been made available to schools so that they can continue operating and remain places where students can attend and work. That involves ambition and vision. In what has perhaps been the most challenging time this country and the rest of the world have ever experienced, the Department of Education, in co-operation with stakeholders, found a pathway forward for the classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022. Unique in the world in 2021, we offered both a written exam and an accredited grades process. This year, we are ensuring that seated exams are provided for. There is no absence of ambition or investment in education. Empty rhetoric and righteous indignation serve no purpose because, at the end of the day, this is all about action and delivery and I am content with the action and delivery that have been provided by my Department.

The overall aim of the Bill is to ensure greater clarity for parents and guardians about voluntary contributions collected by schools but it remains my view that these objectives would be better met through the advancement of the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019, which has reached an advanced stage. The approach that I am taking in the charter Bill is to put in place a set of legislative measures that will establish a framework and help support and foster a cultural change in schools in terms of engagement across the whole school community. The charter guidelines will be developed following a consultative process with the education partners. This consultative approach is of fundamental importance. It will help to ensure that the reporting requirements put in place under the charter guidelines are clear to all, ensure that the relevant information needed for transparency is made available and, importantly, are straightforward and workable at school level. The charter guidelines will set out the form and manner in which information is to be provided to students and parents, which includes publishing information about voluntary contributions and how they are spent, and, therefore, it is considered that the particular policy objective of the legislation before us will be achieved with the enactment of the charter Bill. This is an important consideration. It is my firm belief that what Deputy Ó Laoghaire's Bill sets out to achieve will be achieved in that way.

The charter Bill has already been passed by the Seanad and has completed Second Stage in the Dáil. It now awaits progress to Committee Stage. Therefore, I am seeking the House's approval for my timed amendment.

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