Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will make some very brief follow-up remarks. I thank the Minister for his very full response to my question. I am grateful to him for outlining the changes the new legislation will make. When are they likely to come into effect? I support the Minister, and we supported the Bill in the Oireachtas. I am very grateful to him for stating that he does not believe linking school admission with church attendance would meet the provisions of the new Act, once in force. I agree with him that the Act is a significant step and is very positive.

I am also grateful to the Minister for outlining that he will introduce a parent and student charter. Will that enable parents to have an input if there is any change in admissions policy, even if the change is to the interpretation or application of the policy rather than to its wording? There is a subtle difference but a very important one in the context of this particular case, and possibly in other cases. Parents should be informed even where there is a proposal to change the way a policy is being interpreted or applied.

There is a broader issue concerning church-State relations in education. I raised in the Seanad previously the issue of teacher training and a concern about different strands of admission with different CAO points for admission to different religious denominational teacher training courses, at DCU in particular. I will raise that with the Minister perhaps in a separate context but there is a bigger issue to be addressed.