Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

There is also one student from County Cork. I hope more students will come from the country and that the facilities and the courses in Tallaght IT will continue to develop.

I wish to speak about access to third level education. I am not saying my constituency is any more disadvantaged than elsewhere. Over the years, the so-called County Dublin area of need has been designated as far as my county is concerned in a number of areas, in a number of places in Tallaght west and also in Clondalkin. My colleague, Deputy John Curran, would want me to make that point. Other colleagues, including Deputy Cyprian Brady who is sitting beside me, will also make that point. We must always strive to ensure in terms of social inclusion that young people from so-called disadvantaged backgrounds get as many educational opportunities as possible.

The Taoiseach used to say, and still does, that at a time when all boats are rising we must make sure the little boats keep rising. At a time when all boats are under pressure — there is a touch of that in the economy at present — we must absolutely ensure that the small boats continue to rise. There is a whole range of issues relating to social inclusion in that regard. Certainly, so far as access to education is concerned there are particular challenges.

I am very proud of all the schools in my constituency. I am glad that many of them have made particular progress during the past ten, 15 and 20 years. Last week I attended a celebration with the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, in St. MacDara's Community College, which takes students from different areas, including Crumlin, Drimnagh and many parts of Tallaght. It was amazing to walk up the corridor and see commemorations of events over recent years where students from all backgrounds and areas did well not only in the college but made progress in later life. I do not want to make too much of a social comment in this regard, but there was a time in certain areas where certain skills and certain trades were not produced. I do not wish to speak about myself but somebody told me recently that as far as he or she knows — I was reared in Crumlin — there has not been a strong stream of Dáil Deputies coming from that area. I do not say that in any flippant way. It is important that every area has a chance in that regard. It has often been said to me that we have not had any judges yet from Crumlin, Drimnagh or Tallaght. I am not sure about the position in Drumcondra. I make that point in terms of access to education. That has to be the goal. I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, will agree that we are all entitled to look forward to the day when people from every region in the country, including every part of the Dublin region, will be properly educated. I am a Dubliner and as I do not have any country cousins I cannot speak too much about the country. People should be able to complete their education and attend university. People should be able to compete for all those jobs. Whether they want to be judges, politicians, film stars or whatever there should not be a bar so far as where one has come from is concerned. That is very much about educational advantage and disadvantage and the progress that should be made in that regard.

There is a whole range of issues relating to student support that needs to be emphasised. All the colleges, including Tallaght IT, take particular care to ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds, students with disabilities and mature students who did not have that chance previously, are more represented. While there has been progress in that regard there is, as stated a few years, "a lot done, more to do". That is certainly true.

I referred earlier to the Trinity access programme and commend it. Much progress can be made throughout the country with regard to the access programme. Tallaght IT is committed to encouraging the participation of people from local disadvantaged backgrounds but also from other areas. It is not merely about getting them into college but supporting them during their time in college. In 2007-08, 53% of first year students attending Tallaght IT were drawn from those areas where traditionally there was a low turn out. The institute has a number of programmes and support schemes in place to enhance their participation.

The theme of my contribution is that we have to continue to strive for those areas of disadvantage. There will always be areas throughout the country and in the Dublin region where people will have easy access to education. There has to be a concentration on those areas where there is still much to do, despite the progress. I can be proud of the progress in that regard in my constituency but everyone else can speak about their own areas. That is what we must continue to do. Those people are entitled to our support.

I look forward to supporting the Bill. I thank the Acting Chairman for her courtesy and wish her a happy St. Patrick's Day.

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