Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)

That is the consequence the Minister must accept when he says he had no alternative.

The transition year was introduced by former Fine Gael Minister, Mr. Richard Burke way back. I taught in one of the schools in which it was piloted, Garbally College in Ballinasloe. I have received a number of texts and e-mails from students of that school who have traditionally had access to the transition year and have been told they may not have it next year. I have 500 individual letters from students of the Presentation College, Athenry. I ask the usher to take them over to the Minister and I ask the Minister to get his people to read them and to reply to them in their own good time. Then they will see there is need for change in the 32 cuts he has needlessly introduced to hurt the children of this country.

See this speech in context