Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I made the point yesterday on the Order of Business that I felt the current arrangements in primary schools whereby untrained personnel have responsibility for the so-called "teaching" of children is another pot waiting to boil over on the Government. It could certainly lead to a class action on the part of parents seeking to question the Government ignoring the constitutional imperative requiring it to provide for free primary education. That must imply professional standards, something mentioned later in the Constitution. I say this because, if it takes me 17 years to convince the Government to do so, at least my concern will have been recorded time and time again. I respectfully ask the Leader to bring this formally to the attention of the Attorney General to reassure ourselves that this problem does not need a solution at this stage.

The Travers report that we will be discussing is also very topical today, since the person who seems to be accepting responsibility for long-term and systemic corporate failure, the Secretary General of the Department, is apparently leaving it. That is perfectly understandable; we have seen such situations in several places in recent years. However, it would be the height of cynicism, utterly unacceptable and impossible to explain in a democracy if that person were rewarded with some similar or promoted position anywhere else. I feel sadness for the person concerned, since I am sure he is very hard-working, but this matter needs closure and his entitlements should not be augmented. Leaving the Department should not be the gateway to some other similar or promoted position in the public service. I do not say that in any personal manner, but I would like to have it on the record.

I absolutely agree with Senator Finucane that the outrage that has greeted the Provisional IRA statement is perfectly understandable. However, I would also like to sound a note of caution. Whereas we are all of one mind in the Irish political landscape, North and South, in pubs and other places around Ireland, many people will say that shooting or getting rid of the perpetrators is the right way to deal with them. We have a great deal of education to carry out to explain to people that this is utterly unacceptable for reasons that affect every citizen of the State.