Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are due to take the Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013 today. In that context, I do not know whether the Leader has received an indication regarding whether the Minister is going to provide an update on the gambling control Bill, which was supposed to be introduced in conjunction with the former. Last week the Minister gave a commitment to seek an update on the current status of the gambling control Bill. These two items of legislation should have been dealt with together, but that has not proven to be the case. I know the Leader shares my concerns with regard to this matter.

What is the position in respect of the education (admission to school) Bill? This Bill was originally scheduled to be published in 2014 but the Government legislation programme indicates that it is due for publication this year. Only the heads of the Bill have been published. The former Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, was intent on bringing about some degree of standardisation with regard to school enrolment policies and in terms of what constitutes a catchment area. I agree with what the previous Minister was trying to do because it is very important. This week, thousands of children in Dublin and, I am sure, throughout the remainder of the country will receive letters refusing them entry to primary schools for a variety of reasons. Parents find it increasingly frustrating that schools' enrolment policies differ from each other. For example, a child might be higher up the ladder in terms of eligibility for enrolment in one school and lower down in respect of another. In addition, schools can arbitrarily redraw their catchment areas in any given year. A school can decide to expand its catchment area when it wants to increase pupil numbers and retain teaching posts but reduce it when the requirement is to keep numbers static. It is impossible for parents and children to manage in such circumstances. The education (admission to school) Bill was promised almost three years ago. It would, in my view, facilitate an important reform in the area of education. I accept that she may have done so but I certainly have not heard the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, mention it once. I am of the view that there is an opportunity for her to introduce the Bill in order that the Second Stage debate might proceed. I ask the Leader to use his good offices to discover what is the current status of the Bill.