Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2001

Vol. 529 No. 1

Written Answers. - National Parents Council.

Dick Spring

Question:

1133 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Education and Science the proposals under consideration in his Department for the composition of the National Parents Council consequent on the enactment of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000; if he will maintain the present structure whereby parent associations affiliate to their constituent body and representation on the National Prices Commission PP will be through the constituent body; if the Act will provide that the parent association will affiliate directly to the National Parents Council Post Primary; and if parents associations will be obliged to affiliate directly to the National Parents Council Post Primary. [30497/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

A national association of parents is defined in section 2 of the Education Act, 1998, as an association or other body of persons, which is established by parents to represent the views and interests of parents with regard to education and to assist parents in exercising their rights and role in the process of the education of their children, established and organised on a national basis having its membership distributed over a substantial part of the State and recognised by the Minister for the purposes of the Act.

Section 26 of the Act states that where a parents' association in a school is affiliated to a national association of parents, the rules made by the association to govern its meetings and the business and conduct of its affairs will be in accordance with guidelines issued by the national association of parents, with the concurrence of the Minister. These provisions have already been commenced.

The Act contains a specific reference to the National Parents Council (Post-Primary) Limited, as a body which is currently recognised for the purpose of the Act. The structure of the council, and the manner of affiliation to it by the various parents' associations is a matter for the council and the parents' associations concerned.