Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 532: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if there are legal requirements or departmental guidelines which help schools develop policies to liaise appropriately with parents of children in cases in which the parents are separated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42181/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has not issued guidelines to schools on this matter and it is not an issue that has been raised as causing particular difficulty in schools. In general, it is my Department's view that both parents should be encouraged to take an active interest in their children's education and it is to the benefit of the children and the school when they do. It is appreciated that practical difficulties for schools can arise where parents are separated.

However, my Department's approach to the issue of the rights of separated parents to involvement in their children's education is that the rights of both parents should be respected and given meaningful, practical expression in matters such as school reports, attendance at parent/teacher meetings and other school functions and that generally both parents should receive the same information and level of co-operation from the school. The only qualification to that approach would arise where the best interest of the child required a different approach. Schools are best placed to exercise their own judgements as to what is appropriate in each individual case given their particular knowledge of the individual circumstances.