Fiona O'Malley (Independent)

I echo the sentiments of Senator Ó Murchú. In the context of the right to have and encourage full participation in debates on issues that are often seen as contentious, I seek a debate on education. At this time of the year people make choices about what schools their children will attend in September. In a cool environment we need to look at what kinds of schools we have, who are running them and whether there is a plurality of schools. We need to provide a system which is not exclusively catered for by one faith or another. The Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills should come to the House for a debate on the future of the education system. We are at a crossroads and the country is no longer a unified singular Catholic state. In the light of reports concluded in the past academic year even, we need to review who runs our schools and have a debate outside the context of anything else apart from trying to decide what kind of education system we would like for our children for the future. We need to invite the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills for a debate on the future of education and in no other context.