Maurice Hayes (Independent)

I disagree profoundly with him, but in a civilised way, on the question of the Garda reserve force. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government what steps he is taking to safeguard the site of the Battle of the Boyne, which is a matter of considerable interest to many people in Northern Ireland. It is an important element in North-South relations and a significant part of our heritage that should be protected. If sensible planning steps are taken in time, we may be able to avoid the sort of dispute that arose over Tara and the M3. Problems can be foreseen.

I support Senator O'Toole on the question of teachers. The best steps we could take for teachers are to reduce class sizes and give them as much support as we possibly can. I am not keen on the idea of giving them carte blanche because we are finding difficulties with other professions but we should be able to ensure that good teachers are rewarded for staying in the profession. We should ask ourselves why people do not want to take up headships in schools. It may be that the Teaching Council can find ways to civilianise many administrative chores and the same applies to the Garda Síochána.