Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Taoiseach to the House. It is fitting that he is here on the 70th anniversary today of the passing and signing into law of the Republic of Ireland Act. It is also worth noting and ironic that this morning's news headlines again had a report not recommending that history be retained as a core subject at junior certificate level. I, through Fine Gael Private Members' time in this House about two or three years ago, tabled a motion that called for history to be kept as a core subject. My proposal got unanimous support across the House because all Members of the House appreciated the fact that we need to understand our past. The generations who come after us also need to understand their past. I urge the Taoiseach to ensure that this issue is put to bed for once and for all and that the Government commits to retaining history as a core subject at junior certificate level. I would also like history to be a core subject at leaving certificate level but that is a discussion for another day. We should be very proud of what we have achieved in this Republic. We should never take our democracy for granted. We only need to look at the chaotic scenes across the water and the development in other European countries of extreme right-wing anti-Semitic political groupings. I fear what will happen if these groups continue to develop at the current pace. We have achieved a lot in this country with regard to equality. In the past three or four years we have recognised the status of our Traveller colleagues and friends as an ethnic group. We have also signed into law the Irish Sign Language Act. We have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The building blocks are there to ensure that this is not just a republic of opportunity but a republic of equal opportunity for all our citizens.

What worries me is the underbelly that tends to exist. We saw it manifest itself during the previous presidential election. A minority of people do not really have equality in their hearts. We have the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission which does fantastic work and has fantastic people. There should be a Citizens' Assembly on how Ireland can bring equality to the heart of its education system, such that every citizen not only has equal opportunities but also has respect for people who are different, who have challenges and who may not necessarily have had opportunities. A discussion needs to happen about how we bring all our citizens with us on the journey of equality.