Vol. 530 No. 6
449 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 266 of 13 February 2001, he will outline the advice available to him on the responsibilities of his Department in respect of day schools for which it had a regulatory role; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4932/01]
In my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 266 of 13 February I outlined how the responsibility of the Minister for Education and Science arises under statute for the regulation of industrial and reformatory schools and how that differs in the case of day schools. I did so in the context of the Government's decision in principle to establish a compensation scheme for people who suffered abuse while in residential care, a decision which does not extend to children who were pupils in day schools. Apart from this statement of the statutory role and responsibility of the Minister of the day, it is not appropriate for me to outline in any more detail legal advice which may be given to me on the matter. The issue of whether the Minister has a wider responsibility to children in ordinary schools and the nature of that responsibility, if it exists, are matters which are before the courts in a number of cases and it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.
