Seanad debates

Thursday, 10 May 2018

10:30 am

Photo of Aidan DavittAidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I extend my sympathy and gratitude to Emma Mhic Mhathúna following her moving interview this morning and for telling her story. It must not have been easy. It is a dark day for the country.

I am perplexed by the Minister for Education and Skills' proposed policy on school place allocation. He has hit on a new policy of intrinsic discrimination. Under the proposed legislation, if pupils seek to enrol in school with a Catholic ethos and they are Catholic, from the catchment area and their parents and siblings or both have attended the school, there is no guarantee of a place but that place could be allocated to a pupil who is not Catholic, does not prescribe to the ethos of the school, does not have parents or siblings who attended the school previously and who probably has little or no ties to the area. Why is it okay and good to discriminate against children who are intrinsically linked to schools in their area? Will the Leader invite the Minister to come to the House to explain this crazy policy? Perhaps the newspaper reports are not correct but if they are, they are beyond belief.

Following the horrific radio interview I mentioned, Ms Catherine Heaney of the National Museum commented on its good working relationship with the Houses of the Oireachtas and she also mentioned the "very nice space in front of Leinster House". Ms Heaney would be better off concentrating on the museum's work. The beautiful, tactile room we are in now was used for storage prior to us restoring it to its current grandeur. It would be better if Ms Heaney looked after the affairs of the museum and did not worry about Leinster House.

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