Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to comment on rule 68. The forum on patronage and pluralism reported two years ago and recommended dissolving rule 68. That report went to the Minister back in 2012. It is not throwing out the baby with the bathwater. The rules for national schools, of which rule 68 is one, were devised 50 years ago. The language used in all of the rules should and will be revised, presumably, along with rule 68. We would not have any problem at all with reviewing the language used in another piece of legislation from 50 years ago. One of the rules states that junior infants should be taught by the mistress - a woman. Maybe that was a good idea or maybe it was a bad idea.

I would go along with looking at all the rules. When we are doing so we must pay attention to what we put in their place. There is a new articulation of language recognising that there are many types of children, as Archbishop Martin has said himself. Baptising a child just to get him or her into a school is not the way to do it. I would go along with retaining a lot of rule 68 but under a new guise. It has good things like charity, justice, inculcating truth, patience, obedience - there are lots of good things there and it is not all bad. We want to ensure that we include all children of no religion and some.

I call for a debate on the Growing Up in Ireland survey, particularly on one aspect of it. Some 28% of all deaths among children between 0 and 3 years of age in the EU are due to injuries. A particular report in Ireland targeted accidents involving children between the ages of 1 to 3 and asks for a review of education of parents, how to avoid accidents or whatever. The percentage of children in Ireland who are hospitalised is very high. The Growing Up in Ireland study called for a review. I would like a debate on how we are going to address this issue. Accidents are also higher in boys than girls. Recklessness would come to mind. Maybe we should be thinking about politics as well in that regard.