Seanad debates
Wednesday, 27 June 2018
Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed)
10:30 am
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Labour) | Oireachtas source
I move amendment No. 43:
In page 26, lines 30 to 37, to delete “virtue of—” on line 30 down to and including line 37 and substitute “virtue of a sibling of the student concerned attending the school.”.
I have spoken on this issue twice already so the Minister knows my reservations on this part of the Bill. Essentially the section gives a school the opportunity to have 25% of the school places set aside for children. I was going to oppose this on the basis of children of past pupils, but I see that bizarrely the Minister has provided for the grandchildren of past pupils as well. I think that is adding insult to injury. I repeat this is a key lobbying point of an elite sector in Irish education who want this provision in order to keep the school ties alive. I do not think that has any place in this Bill. Every child should try to access their local school on the same basis and what is being wedged in is a new barrier that children from outside the area or whose parents have not attended primary or secondary school, and in particular secondary school, have to overcome. I do not think this is fair. It is elitist. It comes from a particular sector of Irish society and I really wish this provision was not included in the Bill.
I really wish we were not having this debate on this issue. I will be pressing this amendment, but not now.On the advice of the Acting Chairman, I will resubmit it on Report Stage if needs be. However, I have yet to hear the Minister's response to the amendment.
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