Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

The Minister is not a teenager and should take responsibility. As a Minister, she has led a charmed life in terms of promises for education. However, I have a feeling that her record is beginning to catch up with her. As economic horizons narrow, hard decisions must be made. Children should not be the soft targets of reducing expectations. The Labour Party's proposal to double the capitation grant would cost only €82 million per year, less than 1% of the total education budget.

See this speech in context