Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 November 2016
80. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will remove the baptism barrier as part of the Education (Admissions to School) Bill 2016 in time for September 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36430/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills, is to consider the complex issues raised by the Labour Party's proposed amendment to section 7(3)(c) of the Equal Status Act as set out in their Private Members Bill.
I have included a specific action in the Action Plan for Education that expresses my commitment to working with the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills to deliver changes in this area.
The Government proposed and the Dáil agreed that the Equal Status Bill proceed to second stage in June 2017. This will allow parents, patrons and other stakeholders to have their say and to ensure that that the right balance can be struck between competing rights and that there would be no unintended consequence that would create an adverse impact on the schools of minority denominations.
I believe that this matter requires time to allow adequate scrutiny and debate in order to ensure any new approach is reasonable, fair and workable. I believe that the work of the Education and Skills Committee will be invaluable in that regard.
The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 does not propose any changes to section 7(3)(c) of the Equal Status Act and I propose to advance the Admissions Bill separately from the issues before the Committee.
As I have said previously, I believe that this is the correct way to proceed. In this way, we can ensure that the important pragmatic changes contained in the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill can be implemented as quickly as possible, and not be tied up with contentious issues that could end up in the Courts. At the same time, we can in this way give the time and space for the complex issues involved in the Equal Status Bill to be properly teased out.
It is also important to note that even if the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 is enacted by the Oireachtas in the coming months it cannot apply in respect of admissions in September next as schools have already begun that process.
The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 provides an over-arching framework for greater transparency and consistency in school enrolment generally and thereby gives greater confidence to parents that the admission criteria laid down by schools and the procedures used by them are legitimate, reasonable and fair. The following is an outline of some of its key provisions:
- The Bill will oblige all schools to admit pupils where there are available places. It is important to note that 80% of schools are not oversubscribed.
- The Bill provides for schools to explicitly state in the school's admission policy that it will not discriminate against an applicant for admission on the grounds of disability, special educational needs, sexual orientation, family status, membership of the traveller community, race, civil status, gender or religion while including provision for single sex schools and denominational schools to reflect, in their admission policy, the exemptions applicable to such schools under equality legislation.
- The Bill includes a specific requirement that school enrolment policies must include details of the school's arrangements for any students who do not wish to attend religious instruction.
- The Bill contains a provision prohibiting the charging of fees or seeking payment or contributions for an application for admission to a school or for the enrolment or continued enrolment of a student in a school.
- The Bill also provides for the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) to designate a school for a child with no school place and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to designate a school for a child who has no school place for reasons related to the child’s special educational needs.
