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Seanad
‹ Order of Business

School patronage survey safeguards

Summary

Senators question the reliability of the school patronage survey, particularly its lack of verification, while supporting efforts to measure parental demand and choice.

As ridiculous as that might seem, that is how ridiculous the website is because it will accept that information. It leaves the survey open to absolute abuse whereby people who have a specific view can make multiple entries on the website. The issue needs to be investigated by the Minister for Education and Skills. I would have thought the Department would have got that right. However, anybody can complete the survey under any name, claim to have six, seven or ten children and there is no verification. We all want to ensure that the information from the survey is correct and reflects people's views, but it does not.

Yesterday was obviously a particular day with the burial of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. Many people in the House asked in a very structured and non-partisan way that we would have a debate on policing. I put the House on notice that the Fianna Fáil group will use our Private Members' time next week to table a motion on policing and I hope we have an open, frank and respectful debate next week. That will give everyone an opportunity to have a discussion on the future of policing in the State.

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I have spoken in the House previously to welcome the initiative of the Minister, Deputy Quinn, in reviewing patronage in primary schools. There is a lack of choice available in schooling where we have more than 95% of primary schools under religious denominational control and only 65 multidenominational national schools out of almost 3,200 nationally. There is a clear disconnection and I welcome the Minister's initiative in trying to track parental demand and choice, and recognise that in the system. As I am in one of the areas covered in Dublin 6, I completed the survey. I did not see it as problematic. I understand the Department will be checking and it is seeking PPS numbers to ensure that the parents who complete the survey are parents of the children they claim to be.

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The problem is there is no correlation between the PPS number and the name.

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If there is a difficulty, it should be addressed. I understood that was precisely why the PPS number is sought. It is very important that parents in the areas being surveyed would return the surveys by 8 February so that we can get a good representative sample of parental views and preferences in the matter of their children's education. I hope we can then have a debate in this House on patronage. I know we had one before but it would be useful to have one again. We should also address the issue of secondary schools. Along with many others I attended a meeting last week on the need for a multidenominational secondary school to serve the needs of the greater Dublin area. There is considerable cross-party support for that initiative.

I renew a call for a debate with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine. Senator O'Keeffe called for a debate yesterday when I was leading on the Order of Business. It is particularly urgent given the reports that Silvercrest has lost contracts with Tesco and others.

I congratulate the National Women's Council of Ireland which today announced the Y-Factor project, an initiative to support young women campaigning for gender equality and to make young women aware of the need to campaign for gender equality and to look for greater proportions of women representing us in politics and public life generally. I very much welcome that and hope we will see more from the young women involved.

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Paddy Burke An Cathaoirleach Fine Gael

I call Senator O'Donnell.

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