Another school year has passed. Schools throughout the country have filled their classes for next year without any reform to their admissions policy. The education committee will publish a report recommending the baptism barrier be ended. Just under a year ago the Dáil debated the Labour Party's Equal Status (Admission to Schools) Bill. The Taoiseach will remember the Government voted to delay the passage of the Bill for one year. We now have the report of the all-party committee, and the Labour Party's Bill will pass Second Stage next week when the year is up. Will the Taoiseach agreed to proceed the Labour Party's Bill to Committee Stage immediately so we can address this issue, on which I think there is consensus in the House, once and for all?

This is another example of legislation my leader has offered that Fianna Fáil will facilitate before the summer recess. Will the Taoiseach clarify what is the Government's position on the school admissions Bill? Has the Government taken a decision on it? Has the Minister, Deputy Bruton, made up his mind? There seems to be total indecision on education with the Technological Universities Bill and the school admissions Bill. People are wondering what is happening. Quite a large part of the education sector is in a state of stasis at present because people do not know what is happening and what way they will have to operate their affairs in future.

To reassure the Deputies, the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill was drafted and largely built on the Bill by my predecessor. That will be on Committee Stage next Wednesday. That Bill, which deals with-----

It is a different Bill.

What are the Minister's views?

Let me answer. That is the Bill that was drafted to deal with admissions. There is much consensus on how we should deal with, for example, giving powers to the NCSE to designate a place for a pupil with special needs or making it illegal to discriminate on all sorts of grounds in admissions. It is an important Bill. The Dáil decided that the second issue, the issue of how we deal with religion as a criterion for entry to schools, should be dealt with on a different track. Since the Bill was published we have had a broad consultation on the issue. Four options were discussed and we had a forum very recently. What now needs to be done, and what I am doing, is bringing forward and developing amendments that can get the support of the Attorney General as the legal adviser to the Government, and get a broad consensus across the House and the broader education partnership.

We can proceed with the Bill to Committee Stage and then we can discuss it.

The Minister is muddying the waters further.

What we need is an amendment that is robust at the end of the day.

Then let us get the committee to discuss it.

I need to ensure I have a legally robust amendment so we can deal with this issue. I share the belief of all that we need to change this.

Will the Minister stop the Bill then?

No, I am very happy for it to go to Committee Stage.