Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It gives me great pleasure to ask the Acting Leader to bring the Minister for Education to the House for a debate. I say sincerely and genuinely that, notwithstanding the issues with Covid, and I appreciate a gargantuan effort has been made with the leaving certificate, we are now into mid-October and the junior certificate students still have not got their results. That is very unfair. I accept the challenges around leaving certificate appeals and understand the leaving certificate was a priority, but it is now 13 October. Many students who are in transition year or fifth year have to make subject choices for their leaving certificate. I hope the Minister for Education will come to the House for a wide-ranging debate on the role of the State Examinations Commission, the review of the junior and leaving certificate curriculums and the education system in general. I hope the Acting Leader can put in that request. It is an important matter and one that is causing stress and angst for many people.

I commend the Leader and Senator Seery Kearney on their work and welcome the Smith family. I was 2 lb when I was born. I was 14 weeks premature. The life of Baby Stephen we are discussing today is one that many of us can associate with. We all have family members, relations, cousins or friends who have had miscarriages. It is important this Bill is fast-tracked by Government because it is about people. I commend the Leader and Senator Seery Kearney on their work on it.

I hope that, as I have facilitated the Acting Leader in the past, he will facilitate me in inviting the Minister for Education to the House. I will not propose an amendment to the Order of Business, but I know the Acting Leader will facilitate my request.