I should perhaps have mentioned last night in giving the reasons for the introduction of this Bill that one of our objects is to speed up action against defaulting parents, and therefore some of the points to which Deputies called attention have had to be introduced. I think, however, that these can be more appropriately dealt with on the Committee Stage. For example, there is a question as to the absences of members of school attendance committees. I regret to say that the attendances of members of these committees in the Dublin County Borough area are not as good as they should be. While some members attend very regularly others do not, and there have been cases where the period of membership of certain members has been characterised by complete absence from meetings. However, my only object is to endeavour to secure that the attendance will be as good as possible. If the House feels that three months is not a sufficiently long period to cover cases of illness, the matter can be dealt with. Provision, of course, is made in Section 10 of the Bill by which school managers or patrons of schools who may find it difficult to attend will be permitted to appoint deputies, and I am hopeful that under this arrangement we shall be able to get active deputies who will be able to attend. Very often parish priests are not in a position, owing to the numerous calls upon them, to attend as regularly as they would wish.
The question was also raised in connection with employment whether an endeavour would be made to deal with the employment of children by their parents. That matter has been examined and it would be extremely difficult, I think, to deal with it. I have not been able to suggest any way in which the work of children for their parents could be brought in as a type of employment which we ought to prevent, if it interfered with school attendance. Of course there are other statutory provisions beyond those now contemplated dealing with the control of juvenile employment. Under the Conditions of Employment Act and the Shops (Conditions of Employment) Act the employment of children under 14 years of age in industrial work or in shops is prevented. It is really not my function to deal with the control of employment directly; that is more a matter for the Department of Industry and Commerce. We have had some complaints, however, and the proposals in the Bill are merely put before the House as an endeavour to meet the situation. If they can be improved in Committee, well and good. There are also, perhaps I should add, certain by-laws in the Cities of Dublin, Cork and Limerick, governing street trading and the employment of young people in certain trades. The corporations concerned, of course, can amend these by-laws from time to time. So it is not entirely a matter for the Minister for Education.
It was suggested that the provisions regarding vagrants will be difficult to carry into effect. However, I have been asked by high authorities to have this matter dealt with. Quite a long time ago representations were made to me, and the provisions here, again, are largely experimental, but we must start off by having a register of these children and seeing how the situation will work out. If such people are not able to provide for the education of their children by giving them to others as guardians, then I presume that action will have to be taken to ensure that the minimum education, which the Constitution lays down as being necessary and which it is emphasised that the State must provide for children from the moral, intellectual and social aspects, will have to be provided for them in some way.
Emphasis has been laid upon the social conditions which deter children from going to school. I mentioned last night that the Government has established various social services to endeavour to ameliorate the situation of poor parents, and I do not think that it is possible for the State to do everything in these matters. The parents have a certain responsibility, and it should be a fundamental responsibility that they should see that their children are given an education. After all, as I said last night, it is the most valuable thing which can be given to the children, even though there may be some small charges in connection with the provision of education, and I think that most schools and teachers try to meet the cases of very poor or destitute children. In fact, when I hear Deputies talking of the provisions of school meals, light, heating, and so on, I would remind them that managers and teachers, as has been admitted in the debate, often provide out of their own pockets for these amenities. As I have often stated, the parish is expected to make its contribution towards the upkeep of the school. Then, as far as the provision of meals is concerned, you have the school meals scheme operating in a number of urban areas, and, I think, in all the borough areas. I know, myself, of a great many cases of schools where the managers provide meals for the children from their own resources—often to the extent of 300 or 400 meals a day—and, in the same way, clothing is provided in necessitous cases.
