Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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510. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures taken to ensure that circulars from her Department uphold the best interests of the child and Ireland's international legal obligations, particularly in view of the reservations stressed in this regard in the 2013 Annual Report of the Ombudsman for Children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25879/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware the regulation of the schools system was not historically governed by legislation but rather by circular. The use of primary and secondary legislation is a relatively recent innovation since, in particular, the enactment of the Education Act 1998. The use of circulars enables the Department to deal with sometimes urgent or emergency-type issues promptly. They also build flexibility into administration by allowing changes to be made to reflect policy shifts or in reaction to changed circumstances. They are not intended to be of general application to citizens at large but rather to a defined group within the education sphere and as a general rule, the Department strives to ensure that the best interests of the child and Ireland's international legal obligations permeate its work.