Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am happy with the Minister's response to amendment No. 4 and his description of the communication of what the role entails. I am willing to accept the Minister's suggestion on how to deal with what I am trying to achieve with amendment No. 4.

With regard to amendment No. 6, no ombudsman would intervene too early in a matter. There would not be resources or time to step into local procedures where it is not absolutely necessary. I do not foresee a position where parents or children would be confused about the role of national and local procedures. A student or parent would only look outside the local procedures if they struggled to operate within the local procedures. I am pretty confident there would not be a big influx of people trying to access a national complaints procedure before a local one. This would not be overly complex and it may be made more confusing than it is. The Office of the Ombudsman for Children is eager to see the office being able to intervene and we must trust that it knows when or when not to do so. Possible confusion is not an adequate reason to not push this amendment. I am willing to withdraw amendment No. 4 but I will be pressing amendment No. 6.