Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I also compliment the Taoiseach on his stand last week with the stakeholders on how best we could move forward and the notion of the 12 days' unpaid leave. In view of my own past profession, I could not see how it would work out and I compliment him for taking the lead and stating that was not a runner.

Senator Alex White suggested today that we were not having debates here, and I agree with him. We have had statements, which will lead up to the final day tomorrow. What do we mean by a debate? A debate, to me, is a question and answer session. I have no difficulty if we can conduct it so that we will be able to draw conclusions, but we all know that no matter what way a debate ends there will be some in favour and others against, and that is the idea of the political parties. I am apprehensive about these new concepts on debate versus statements that we are trying to bring forward here. Neither is a good idea for the future. However, I am open to further discussion on this.

Today I read about the National Education Welfare Board, which is a new board set up to deal with school attendance. I am not so sure that board is working well. Perhaps in the new year we should have a discussion on how this board works, how it co-ordinates with the HSE, the Department of Education and Science, the teachers, the home-school link, and so on. I hope this is not another one of these quangos that do not fulfil their role. It was meant to integrate all of the other services dealing with students with absentee issues, students with discipline problems, and students who are being fostered and are just out of HSE care, and how all of that works. Perhaps in the new year the Leader would find time to have a full debate or - I hate to say the word - statements. Whichever way we want to work it, maybe we would have a discussion on that.