Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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91. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she would consider it timely to convene a national education convention to evaluate how well adapted Ireland’s arrangements are to meet the scale of challenges in the years ahead; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30483/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, almost 30 years have elapsed since the National Convention on Education chaired by the late Prof. John Coolahan. The 1990’s saw a significant period of strategic thinking, planning and implementation that culminated in several pieces of primary legislation that set the stage for the significant reforms that all levels of the system have experienced since. These included the Education Act of 1998, as well as acts establishing the National Council for Special Education, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, the State Examination Commission, and Teaching Council.

Since then, as the Deputy will be aware, there have been significant developments in the area of participatory democracy, including the establishment of Citizens’ Assemblies on a range of topics. The Programme for Government commits to establishing a Citizens’ Assembly on the Future of Education ensuring that the voices of young people and those being educated are central. The establishment of the Citizens’ Assembly on the Future of Education and its Terms of Reference will be the subject of a Government decision and resolutions of the Dáil and Seanad at the appropriate time. Citizens’ Assemblies operate independently of the Government with secretariat support provided by the Department of the Taoiseach.