The debate on school league tables is about to be re-ignited, writes Seán Flynn, Education Editor.
There can be no denying there is major public support for more information on schools despite the fact such statistics may be hated by the education establishment.
In an opinion poll commissioned by the Department of Education and published two months ago, over three-quarters of respondents favoured more information on the numbers of students who proceed to third level from each secondary school.
A clear majority also want more information on exam results.
Despite this, one would struggle to find any teaching union or representative body that supports league tables. Even the National Parents' Council (post primary) - the sole representative voice for parents of second-level students - is opposed.
Mr Richard Bruton of Fine Gael is the only high-profile politician who has consistently spoken in support of these tables.
The tables published today are incomplete. They take no account of the social profile of a school or its enrolment policy.
They give schools no credit for non-academic achievement in areas like sport, drama and debating. They don't distinguish between the work of a school struggling with meagre State support and one, like many fee-paying schools, which can afford the best.
For all that, the tables are hugely popular among parents. Why? One parent put it bluntly: "Selecting a secondary school for my son is one of the most important decisions I will make. I will apologise to no one for getting as much information as I can about schools to guide me in that decision."
One other important point about today's tables: they show that many non-fee-paying schools are sending just as many students to UCD as their more renowned fee-paying counterparts.
Some "free" second-level schools in south Dublin have suffered a huge drop in enrolment because of the mistaken perception that fewer of their students go on to third level. But today's table shows many of these schools featuring strongly.
The Minister for Education and Science, Ms Hanafin, is highly critical of league tables. But her predecessor, Mr Dempsey , was less strident.
He acknowledged there was what he termed an "information vacuum" in Irish education, and that parents needed more information.
Mr Dempsey set in train a consultation process on league tables with a view to designing a model that would best reflect the needs of Irish education.
This process is continuing.
The college featured today, UCD, has been undergoing its own revolution in recent months. The largest university in the State with over 20,000 students, UCD is in the process of major structural change. Its new president, Dr Hugh Brady, appointed this year, has tabled radical proposals which would cut the number of faculties and group about 90 academic departments into about 40 schools.
The plans have been criticised by students, academic and non-academic staff. In particular, there is concern that UCD may be in the process of down-grading arts and humanities in favour of the lucrative science and research areas. This is a charge strongly denied by Dr Brady and those close to him.
There is, however, general agreement across UCD that the university has been underperforming. The college is often portrayed as the "sleeping giant" of the Irish university sector. A recent internal report from an academic think-tank said the college has unrealised potential in several areas.
But many UCD academics insist the college has been doing extremely well given the poor level of State support when compared to similarly sized colleges in the EU.