Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Last week, during the Taoiseach's absence in China on national business, this country witnessed the power and anger of elderly people who came on to the streets in their thousands to make the case against what the Government was doing to them. Later in the afternoon they were joined by younger people regarding the Government's intentions on third level education. The Government does not fully appreciate what is happening on the ground and on the streets regarding the education cuts proposed in the budget. It gives the impression the Government members are like headless chickens running all over the country with a discussion document while they are not prepared to realise the implications of what they have done.

The Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, may present himself like Leonidas at the pass where he will stand in defence of the decisions made by Government on education cutbacks. I cannot understand how the Taoiseach, Deputy Cowen, could make a decision that would, for instance, take school books from Travellers. It is a relatively infinitesimal amount, but so important in the context of their education. I cannot understand how he could remove language support teachers from classes when there are implications across the board for those pupils and the rest of the classes involved. If some pupils have difficulty learning through English because they never had a chance to learn it, and will have teachers withdrawn, surely the Government realises the implications of that and the difficulties it will cause. There will be no cover for duty carried out by members of the teaching profession at primary and secondary levels, which is so important to the Taoiseach. For example, in the area of science, will teachers be provided with cover if they bring students to the Young Scientist Exhibition in January?

We do not have access to the figures at the Taoiseach's disposal. I asked the Tánaiste a question last week in that context, to which she was unable to give a reply. The Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, has said that 200 teachers will lose their jobs at primary level and a further 200 will lose their jobs at secondary level. The school enrolment figures were submitted to the Department on 30 September. Is the Taoiseach prepared to publish those figures now, or within the next 48 hours, so we can ascertain, based on the up-to-date figures, what the true number of job losses in the teaching profession will be? I am interested here in the impact on children, at primary and secondary levels, of what the Government has done.

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