Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Fine. The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste both said to me, from where the Minister is now sitting, that they do not find it acceptable. They think it is not acceptable that people on an income of more than €200,000 should pay no contribution. This does not really excite the Minister's disapproval; what excites his disapproval is the most important measure to open up access to third level education ever taken in this country. I used to work in third level education and I know quite a bit about it. Professor Clancy's recent report shows that the measure is really working in terms of Dublin city. One can look at the postal districts in the Dublin area — and this may also be true in respect of Tullamore or Birr — and one could pick the estates where almost no children progressed to third level education and the other parts of the city or town where almost anyone with any level of academic achievement proceeded to third level education. It seems to be politically correct on the part of all sorts of people——

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