Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)

On the monitor, I listened with interest to the Minister's previous responses to priority questions. Any suggestion that this Government is committed to implementing the McIver report is balderdash. The Minister should kill it now and say that, just as the Programme for Government promised to reduce class sizes, it will not be done during this Government's term in office. She should get it over with and stop giving false hope to thousands of students and the staff involved in further education. It is a political decision and priority is not being given to advance further education and take it out of second level to create its own tier. Its valuable contribution is not being recognised. Will the Minister say that McIver is dead and quit playing political games? The Opposition parties promised that they will implement all the McIver report's recommendations after the next election.

The Minister referred to the 100 new teaching posts provided for further education colleges. I have tabled a written question about this. Why are these concessionary posts? Why are posts not being filled in the Minister, Deputy Hanafin's, own constituency? That is a serious indictment for the Minister at local level.

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