Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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44. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will work with the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills so that it can produce its report on the baptism barrier earlier in order that any proposed reforms can be included in the Equal Status (Admissions to Schools) Bill and be enacted for the school year 2017/2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35018/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I included a specific action in the Action Plan for Education that expresses my commitment to working with the Committee to deliver changes in this area.

The Government proposed and the Dáil agreed that the Equal Status (Admissions to Schools) Bill proceed to second stage in June 2017.  This will allow parents, patrons and other stakeholders to have their say and to ensure that that the right balance can be struck between competing rights and that there would be no unintended consequence that would create an adverse impact on the schools of minority denominations.

I believe that this matter requires time to allow adequate scrutiny and debate in order to ensure any new approach is reasonable, fair and workable.  

I believe that the work of the Education and Skills Committee will be invaluable in that regard.

The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 does not propose any changes to section 7(3)(c) of the Equal Status Act and I propose to advance the Bill separately from the issues before the Committee.

As I have said previously, I believe that this is the correct way to proceed.  In this way, we can ensure that the important pragmatic changes contained in the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill can be implemented as quickly as possible, and not be tied up with contentious issues that could end up in the Courts.  At the same time, we can in this way give the time and space for the complex issues involved in the Equal Status Bill to be properly teased out.

It is also important to note that even if the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill is enacted by the Oireachtas in the coming months it cannot apply in respect of admissions in September next because schools have begun that process already.