Seanad debates
Wednesday, 12 June 2024
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
10:30 am
Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source
I pay tribute to Martin Murray and thank him most sincerely for the grounding he gave us as newbies. I do not feel like a newbie anymore but in the beginning having people to look to who knew what they were doing was very helpful. I thank him very much and wish him the best in his retirement.
I echo the call of Senator Ward regarding the Gaelscoileanna. There certainly is a dearth of choice. I note the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, has announced a poll of all parents in the next school year, in the autumn, in which they will be asked what would be their preference and choice in schools. It will be important to mobilise people to participate in that poll to ensure people have a choice. If they do not want their child to go to a religious school, that is okay too. If we have more Educate Together and multidenominational schools and more Gaelscoileanna, we will have all of those choices. It is important that our schools represent our communities as they are. Certainly, in Dublin 8, we have a particular problem in that there are people who have to bring their children to Sandymount to an Educate Together school. They are travelling long distances every day when there are facilities within the community that could be developed into choice-based schools, which would be very helpful.
I ask for a debate on racism. Throughout the campaign, we heard of some horrific experiences by candidates in the field. The newly elected Councillor Supriya Singh experienced extreme racism. I am supporting families at the moment who are experiencing horrific racism. One mother cried on the phone to me, saying she is afraid her child will not make her 12th birthday because she fears she will take her own life due to the level of racism on the ground. That is unacceptable. The Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, published a national action plan against racism. It is important we get statements on the record of this House so that we know how it is faring. We need to know whether it is effective, who is being held to account, how education is involved and about the bringing of charges against families who are engaged in systemic racism against others in their community. I would really appreciate statements on that issue.
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