asked the Minister for Education if he is aware that the attendance of pupils at Primary Schools is in many cases extremely bad, and if, in view of this fact, he will consider, in conjunction with the Minister for Justice, whether the work of seeing that parents send their children to some school should be entrusted to the Gárda Síochána of the district.

I am aware of the importance and urgency of making better provision in the law requiring parents to send their children to school. A Bill dealing with the subject has been drafted, and its provisions are at present undergoing the necessary examination with a view to its early introduction in the Oireachtas, when I hope its passage into law will be facilitated as much as possible.