asked the Minister for Education if, in the light of the response to his recent questionnaire, any further initiatives are planned on the question of corporal punishment in educational institutions.

I am examining the views of the various associations in the context of the management structures of our schools and I will make a further statement on the matter shortly.

How soon does the Minister mean? Does he mean, for example, before the end of this term in the Dáil?

I would hope it would be so soon as to relieve the Deputy of the anxieties which he feels in respect of this. I am sure the Deputy appreciates, and he knows already, that there were various submissions made by different associations, organisations and interests and it would be unwise to make any decision in the matter until all these submissions have been fully assessed.

Does the Minister of State recall that in relation to the last time this question was asked the Minister stated that he would examine sympathetically the right of an individual parent to have his or her child excluded from corporal punishment in any individual school? Has the Minister considered this question which is not related to the attitudes of the various associations and has he come to any decision on this question?

If the Deputy is aware of any circumstances in which any child has suffered in respect of corporal punishment the Department will welcome a report from him. I would remind him that, although this is a matter to which there is fairly frequent reference, the incidence of complaints in the Department in respect of corporal punishment is practically nil. I would ask the Deputy if he is aware of any circumstances where any child, in his opinion, is suffering under this sanction? If he is, he would be doing the child and the community a service by bringing that to the notice of the Department.

Is the Minister aware that the issue in question is not whether any child has been beaten but whether any parent has the right to insist that his or her child shall not be beaten in the future?

This is not the question that the Deputy has tabled here. He refers to initiatives in respect of corporal punishment in educational institutions.

I will try to put the Minister right.

I am as right as the Deputy is on this matter.

The Minister gave an undertaking the last time we discussed this question in this House.

That is a matter of argument.