FIANNA Fail's education spokesman, Mr Micheal Martin, has expressed concern that the Minister for Education has not published the agreement between church and other school management bodies, teachers and parents on the future governance of primary schools.
The agreement was presented to the Minister on November 28th after more than two years of difficult negotiations between the parties.
It provides for equal representation of parents, teachers and church bodies on primary school management boards, and ends the churches automatic majority, through the chairman's casting vote, on the boards.
Earlier this month a number of Catholic bishops indicated they would not implement this agreement until a clause exempting religious run schools from new anti discrimination legislation was passed in its present form.
In a Dail answer cast week, Ms Breathnach said the agreement had been referred to the Attorney General's office for advice on its constitutionality and legality, before being submitted to the Cabinet for approval.
Mr Martin said yesterday he was "very concerned" that he, a Dail deputy, "cannot get a copy of this document which is central to education policy at the moment".
He asked what had been the point of the Minister announcing the agreement in November when any agreement is worthless until its constitutionality and legality has been confirmed by the Attorney General".
He also expressed concern about the implications for the Education Bill if the Attorney General finds anything unconstitutional in it.
"One of the major aspects of that Bill is the setting up of primary school boards of management, whose composition will depend on the agreement reached in this document," Mr Martin said.