Susan O'Keeffe (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator Conway regarding the proposals for packaging of cigarettes. We are aware of the difficulties with the tobacco lobby, and Senator Barrett has raised this on many occasions. I am delighted there are strong moves afoot to introduce that type of packaging. Sometimes practical actions are what is required and the sooner this legislation is brought forward, the better. We must seriously address the issue of smoking. There is a higher incidence of smoking in Ireland than in almost every other European country, and that is a great concern, given the number of young people in this country. I support that action and the continued work by the Government and the Department of Health on making Ireland a smoke-free zone by 2025. It is obviously a very ambitious target but it is good to have that target.

On this Universal Children's Day I welcome the chief inspector's report on education in primary and secondary schools in Ireland. Covering 2010 to 2012, it is a huge piece of work and many people have taken part in it. What is more important are its findings. Will the Leader invite the Minister for Education and Skills to the House to debate the findings of the report? It is good to see that both primary and post-primary schools are largely well managed, most teachers are working effectively and the learning is satisfactory. Parents and teachers were questioned, along with teachers' representatives. Importantly, however, there are problems with the teaching of mathematics, Irish and English. Some of these problems are quite serious so there must be a debate on the matter to assess where we go from here. This type of information should not be just left in a book. We should use it to draw up plans and as a basis for offering our advice and suggestions.