Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Before we go to Fine Gael, I want to get a summary of what Professor FitzGerald said. Putting aside whether one believes in a united Ireland, unless one can get educational attainment and productivity levels up in Northern Ireland, people will never achieve their highest potential. The key question is how to do that if the choice between grammar school and other schools is divisive in that children coming from disadvantaged communities will attain less. Should that not be at the heart of the effort? If we can encourage, support and concentrate on that, North and South and in the UK, under the best possible acceptable regime and putting aside the party politics, and invest in the young people to allow all of them reach their greatest status in life, is that not what we have to do?

In that context, if it is a fair question, and I do not want to be long-winded, in the South, until the mid-1960s, effectively only two people in any county could go into third level education because the only grants available were given to those who were the highest achievers in a particular county council area. If one got four honours in the leaving certificate, one got into college. The grant system transformed educational attainment and access to third level. What is needed in the North to kick-start that process and accelerate equality and access and the capacity of young people to achieve their best possible potential?