Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 618: To ask the Minister for Education and Science Ireland's position in regard to the UNESCO Convention Against Discrimination in Education 1960; the action taken in the past two years to comply with and further the aims of the convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39655/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education was agreed in 1960. Ireland was not a member of UNESCO at that time. There are no immediate plans for Ireland to ratify the Convention. Ireland is committed in general to the principles of equality of educational opportunity contained in the Convention.

For example, the Equal Status Act, 2000 prohibits an educational institution from discriminating in relation to, among other things, admission to an establishment or access to any course in that establishment.