Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I rise today to raise the issue of the Admissions Bill, as published yesterday by the Minister for Education. I understand that the Bill will come before this House in due course but I wish to raise a matter of concern.

There seems to be a level of confusion regarding the processes surrounding the Bill and that some of the issues would be dealt with in the committee, according to the Minister, or a committee being set up within a committee. The committees appear to deal with some issues surrounding admissions to schools, while other issues will be dealt with by legislation.

There is also confusion as to whether the Minister intends to tackle the school tie issue, by which some schools in the State insist on keeping their intergenerational, hierarchical bloodline in place to demand priority be given to children of past pupils, which of course discriminates against those who are from outside the area or those of a family background of parents who possibly did not attend secondary school.

I ask the Leader to facilitate a discussion in this House with the Minister, understanding, of course, that the legislation will come before this House in due course. I know, however, that this Bill was a matter of great tension in the last Government. It did not reach any agreement between the two parties in government last time. It is now the intention of the Minister, Deputy Bruton, to bring the issue forward. I am slightly confused and concerned, however, as to why some of the issues surrounding school admissions are being dealt with in a committee and some through legislation and at the same time what was considered to be a very minor change proposed by the Labour Party a number of weeks ago in the Dáil was voted down by a conservative consensus of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.