Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday many of us offered condolences to the families of the many thousands of people killed in the Nepali earthquake and to the injured. There are reports in today's newspapers that there are still a number of Irish citizens unaccounted for. Everyone will join me in supporting the efforts of the Irish consular service abroad in seeking to ensure the citizens' safety.

There is good news on the international front owing to the rescue by the Nigerian military of nearly 300 girls and women who have been held by Boko Haram. We have talked many times in this House about this situation in Nigeria and the terrible threat of Boko Haram. That is very welcome news.

I ask the Leader for a debate on euthanasia and assisted suicide in light of the verdict yesterday in the Gail O'Rourke trial. She was acquitted. This is an issue we need to examine as legislators. It is clear that a review of the 1993 legislation, under which the prosecution was taken, is timely. There have been some very public statements on this, in light of the trial and previously, by the husband of the later Marie Fleming who took the landmark Supreme Court case on this. In that case, the Supreme Court ruled that there was nothing to prevent the Oireachtas legislating on this. It is a difficult and sensitive area and many ethical concerns arise, but it is clearly an issue the Legislature should tackle. The Seanad would be a good forum in which to have the sort of debate Mr. Tom Curran, the later Marie Fleming's husband, has spoken, and is speaking, about today in light of the verdict.

I ask the Leader for a debate on education and planning for demographic changes. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, was in the House last night to take the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill but I am thinking of a more wide-ranging debate that examines, in particular, the sorts of challenges facing the higher education system owing to the demographic changes outlined in yesterday's spring statement, about which I spoke briefly in the House yesterday. We see the need for thousands more teachers. Projected figures point to significant increases at third, second and primary levels over the coming years. It is really a good time for us to debate how the education system should be reformed in order to cope with this. It would be particularly good to have that debate soon because this week the Minister announced the reform of the CAO points system to make it more student-friendly and student-centred and particularly to simplify and clarify the grading structure for leaving certificate points. That is welcome. I ask the Leader to organise the debate in the coming weeks.