Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

I notice incoming Ministers want to claim credit for what is good, but if it is not good they want to shove it back. Senator Ulick Burke spoke about whole school assessment and I take his point completely. Parents and teachers know that just crude partial results do not reflect a child's progress in a school. Children develop at different rates and some develop later than others. I agree the Minister should give us his thoughts on his plan in this regard.

Senator Hanafin requested a debate on telecoms. I thank the Senator for mentioning the good use made of the €4 billion. I agree with Senator Norris in calling for a rolling debate on the Middle East. This matter was debated in the Dáil last week and it would be good to address the topic in a rolling fashion. The Senator also spoke about a person he knows — I understand why he does not want to give names.