Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In view of the comments of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, at the principal's conference, I call for a debate in the House with him on how teachers can manage an already overloaded curriculum of 11 subjects within an overcrowded day which includes the teaching of religion.

His comments are regrettable. When he answered a principal who asked how one could teach more literacy and more maths, he took a swipe and said take it off religion. If that is to be, that is to be, but that is a decision that should be made by parents. He needs to go through the same consultative process with parents on this issue as he did on the issue of patronage, because making an education policy on the hoof is not good enough; it is not professional. If the Leader could facilitate that debate it would be welcome.

I beg the indulgence of the Cathaoirleach to raise the issue of Irish Water. As Senator Feargal Quinn said, what we have learned in the past few days, since we had the debate here, is outrageous. We have to stop Irish Water proceeding until we have an independent investigation on what are the real costs and the real numbers of staff needed before creating another monster. This is public money we are talking about. We are talking about billions of euro and a job of 1,700 staff now being done by 4,500 staff. We are talking about a transition company which has been set up about which few of us knew little. We are talking about recruiting people already paid by the public purse and pensioned off. Irish Water has the potential to be another HSE if we do not say, "stop, and let us investigate it." Will the Leader tell the House what is being done to address these very real concerns about Irish Water at this point in time? Can we have an independent verification of what is really needed?