Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the approval by Government for the development at O'Devaney Gardens. For more than a decade, the site at O'Devaney Gardens has been plagued by political and planning arguments. For all of that time there has been nothing but dereliction and antisocial behaviour on that site. Today's announcement means that in the next quarter of this year, not in ten or 20 years' time, construction will commence in respect of more than 1,000 A-rated social, affordable and private homes, a community crèche, a community centre, shops, and a playground. Most importantly, there is an apprenticeship and local employment clause in the contract. This is a really good day for the area. The building of more than 1,000 homes means that thousands of people who are on the housing list, those who are unable to afford their rents and those who are unable to afford to buy will now have the opportunity to do all three in Dublin city.

The second issue I wish to raise relates to how we educate our children. This House is the ideal place to debate this issue. Specifically, I refer to the organisation of the education of our children in same-sex schools. It is beyond time that we debated this issue. We need to look at how we organise ourselves as a society. When we are born into this world, we are all born equal and we do not have the barriers or the taboos of being male or female. We talk a good deal about wanting to equal things out, equal things up and have women earn the same money and be treated as equals. We are the ones creating the barriers for children at a very early age. When we send boys and girls to segregated schools, we tell them they are different. We do not do this in crèches and we do it to increasingly less in primary schools and new schools that are being built. We need to look at our secondary schools. We need to look at what that to which I refer is instilling in our society. I would like the Leader to arrange a debate on the matter.