Liam Fitzgerald (Fianna Fail)

I could not agree more with Senator O'Toole. The idea behind our evolving educational policy is to make the education system more child-centred, not parent-centred. I agree with the Senator on his reference to the Constitution. I mean no disrespect to its author, but it is unfortunate that its wording regarding parents is sometimes misinterpreted — unwittingly, I am sure. To give parents the ultimate call in designating a child's school is tantamount to giving them a veto — I am very reluctant to use this word. For many reasons, outlined by Senator O'Toole and others, and in the interests of the child, we simply could not go down that road.

It has been articulated clearly by Senator O'Toole that parents might not be the best judges of where a child would be most appropriately placed and it would be a very dangerous precedent to allow them to make such judgments. I urge against it while at the same time warmly endorsing the core principle of the Bill, namely, that of giving parents a central partnership role in meeting special educational needs.