Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Fáilte romhaibh go léir. I welcome everyone back.

I ask the Leader for an assurance that we will have the legislation to give affect to the repeal of the eighth amendment in this House without any delays. I strongly welcome the fact that the President last night signed the legislation following the conclusion of court challenges. The eighth amendment is now officially removed from the Constitution and there is no further impediment in the way of legislating for abortion.

We know that the Minister, Deputy Harris, has produced a very welcome Bill and I am anxious because I hear from the Joint Committee on Health proceedings this morning that there was some scepticism expressed at that committee by health professionals that it would be difficult to have the legislation and framework in place in time for women to be able to access reproductive health services in January. I want to get the Leader's assurance that we will have the legislation in here without delay. I offer the Leader my assurance that we will do nothing to impede the progress of the legislation and most of my colleagues would share that view. We want to see it introduced without delay.

I also ask the Leader for a debate on policing over the coming weeks when we have had time to read in detail the new report published yesterday by the Commission on the Future of Policing, chaired by Ms Kathleen O'Toole. I welcome the overall theme of the recommendations which will undoubtedly bring about a transformation in our policing system in Ireland, akin to that which was brought about by the Patten report in Northern Ireland. I also welcome some of the really important recommendations, particularly that the separation of the prosecutorial function from the policing function should be implemented in a speedy fashion. I would like us to have a debate on how the recommendations may be implemented. There seems to be broad support for them but it is now really a case of seeing that they can be implemented without delay.

I ask the Leader for a debate on the separation of church and State in education.My colleague, Senator Ó Ríordáin, has been seeking a national debate and indeed the establishment of a citizens' assembly on this topic. I have been made aware by Trinity constituents of a very serious issue concerning linking of church attendance with school admission that has arisen in a particular school in Greystones, St. Patrick's national school, which has been named in the national media. This has resulted in the resignation of the highly experienced and respected principal and a board member. I believe that the manner in which the patron, the Church of Ireland, is engaging with this serious issue has raised serious concerns around the separation of church and State in our education system, concerns that are much broader than just one school. I will put down a commencement matter in the Seanad next week specifically about this issue and this school. I will ask that the Department of Education and Skills appoint an inspector or establish some other mechanism to investigate the matter fully and report to the Minister. However, I also wish to raise this issue in a broader fashion and seek a debate on it in the Seanad Chamber. It is part of a much bigger issue concerning the continued linkage of church and State within our schooling system.

As an example, we still have serious issues regarding religion within teacher training colleges. For example, the new teacher training strand at Dublin City University, DCU, which I understand does not admit Catholics, requires 98 fewer Central Applications Office, CAO, points for admission than teacher training in other colleges. There are some very serious issues in respect of teacher training mechanisms, the issue of patronage and how school admissions are run at particular levels. I may be corrected on the issue of the DCU teacher training strand, but I understand there is an issue where priority is given to other religions. It may not be the case that it does not admit Catholics, but there is an issue regarding admission of particular religions and lower CAO points requirements than for other teacher training courses. I ask the Leader for a debate on this matter in due course.