Results 7,141-7,160 of 7,556 for speaker:Catherine Martin

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: To clarify, my amendment No. 16, by inserting “not aided by the Department of Education and Skills”, is making the best of a bad situation but at least it would ensure that State-funded schools could not discriminate on the grounds of religion. It would make it very specific to privately-funded schools so, at least, the taxpayer would not be paying for discrimination. I ask...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: No.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: I move amendment No. 16:In page 6, line 13, after "school" to insert "not aided by the Department of Education and Skills".

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: Amendment No. 20 is in my name also, and I tabled amendment No. 55. These amendments require that in the case of Irish medium schools that are oversubscribed, these schools would have the right to assign priority to children who speak Irish as a home language or who are transferring from primary to secondary Gaelscoileanna.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: Is the Minister is proposing to accept the amendments? Will we hear more from him on Report Stage. Is that right?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: In amendment No. 44, section (9)(b), why did the Minister decide on one in four, or 25%, of children of past pupils?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: Amendment No. 44, section (9)(b).

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: I referred to subsection (9)(b), which deals with the 25% quota. Deputy Tom Neville is referring to subsection (9)(a) which refers to siblings. I have absolutely no problem with it because it makes sense for siblings to be able to attend the same school, if only in managing a household, but I do have an issue with the 25% quota. I am still not convinced that it is evidence-based and...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: I, too, will be seeking to amend the section on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: My amendment No. 39 is similar to my previous amendment No. 16, after "school" to insert "not aided by the Department of Education and Skills". It is an effort to ensure that State-funded schools are not funding discrimination.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: I move amendment No. 39:In page 7, line 23, after "school" to insert "not aided by the Department of Education and Skills". I called a vote on amendment No. 16 but I am happy to revisit this on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: I move amendment No. 55:In page 9, between lines 10 and 11, to insert the following:“(3) Nothing in this section shall prohibit—(a) a primary school which teaches through the medium of Irish from giving priority in its admissions policy to students who speak Irish as a home language, or (b) a post primary school which teaches through the medium of Irish from giving priority in...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: I move amendment No. 56:In page 9, between lines 10 and 11, to insert the following:“(3) (a) In particular, the Minister shall, within 3 months of the commencement of this Act, make regulations governing the age-appropriate arrangements to be made for students who do not wish to attend religious instruction or classes. (b) Such regulations shall have regard to the rights of students...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: I move amendment No. 84:In page 11, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following:“(f) age-appropriate guidelines for primary and post-primary schools, respectively, in relation to students who do not wish to attend religious instruction or classes.”. I intend to press the amendment as I will bring it to Report Stage. This is similar to the one on which we voted already.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: Is the first amendment under discussion amendment No. 100?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: Yes, but the first of my amendments is No. 100. This amendment proposes to insert the words "all reasonable efforts" after "the ability of the school to". This is in order to prevent that soft-barrier discrimination, creating more of an onus on schools to provide for a child before it can refuse to admit them. It would state that the NCSE should have regard to the ability of the school to...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: Yes.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: Is amendment No. 121 also in this grouping? This is where I propose to delete lines 15 to 24 on page 13. There is a double barrier there for children with special educational needs.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: I feel there is a double barrier for children with special educational needs. Amendment No. 98, tabled by the Minister, creates a double barrier. A school might be able to discriminate on the grounds of religion, which would stop access for a child with special educational needs.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Catherine Martin: I completely agree with Deputy Shortall on amendment No. 98 and I believe it will lead to further discrimination. To this end on Report Stage I will table amendments on the principle of what is in the best interests of the child.