Vol. 411 No. 7
80 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for Education the reason for the delay in issuing the promised Green Paper; if she will outline her revised timetable leading up to the education Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I would aim to have the Green Paper published before the end of the year. It will be a comprehensive policy discussion document and as such, I am sure, the Deputy will appreciate the need to allow sufficient time for its preparation.
I would not wish to be overly restrictive of the amount of time allowed for consultation. However, I would envisage a time-scale of six to nine months being required for full debate consultation. Based on these consultations, we would then proceed to the preparation of a White Paper. When this is published preparation of an education Bill will follow.
