Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

I propose to share my time with Deputies Kathleen Lynch, Penrose, Stagg, Upton and Ciarán Lynch. I have only five minutes to reply to Deputy Fahey's comments. It tells its own story that when my colleague, Deputy Quinn, was Minister for Finance between 1995 and 2000 there was sustained economic growth supported by export performance. Between 2000 and 2005 the growth rate was sustained by the wildest forms of property speculation. If Deputy Fahey wants to discuss the mad property speculation that drove the economy or the multimillionaires who benefited from pension transfers, he will find it in the last five budgets by his colleagues in Fianna Fáil.

Last weekend students from one school in Athenry, a neighbouring constituency of Deputy Fahey's, delivered 500 letters. Interestingly, this school has never expelled or suspended a student and has produced the first Traveller who will emerge from Mary Immaculate in a short period of time. In that school the grant for Travellers' education has been cut. Let us get real about what is happening. If Deputy Fahey decided to go to Claddagh national school, where six teachers deal with language difficulties, he would find that the cut to two teachers will be catastrophic not just for those coming in but students at all levels. For those who sit beside students who have difficulties with the English language it will be a disaster. Deputy Fahey need not believe me. He can talk to the teachers and the principal.

If Deputy Ó Cuív takes time from his rambling leithscéal bréagach that he spins on Raidió na Gaeltachta he might like to go to Coláiste Chroí Mhuire, Spiddal, where a parent wrote to me this morning saying:

Tá fíor imní orm faoi na rudaí seo leanas. An méid is a cuimhníos, idir mhúinteoirí agus dhaltaí ranga, caillfidh an scoil múinteoir amháin. Caillfear múinteoir eile de bharr an tarraingt siar ar ár stádas faoi mhíbhuntáiste. Tá na deontais seo a leanas imithe: tíos, fisic, ceimic, ceol, idirbhliain agus scéim iasachta leabhair. Leanann sé ar aghaidh.

It is extraordinary that the Green Party can talk about innovation at the same time as it destroys creativity in the curriculum. With all the money gone for the materials for physics and chemistry, home economics, everything to do with school orchestras, music and art teaching among others, this is a curriculum policy of philistines. The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Ryan, talks about innovation and sustainability that comes from individualism in society. That form of connection between economy and society is over. Courageous people are talking about new forms of social economy and the kind of creativity that will give several different kinds of economic opportunity. Those on that side of the House must realise what has failed. The old model of unregulated markets has failed internationally. In addition, their wild speculative incentives driving individualist accumulation of profit is also gone. Regarding Deputy Fahey's question on where the money would have come from, why confine themselves to €200 for the second or third house? Why not make it a geometric progression? Deputy Fahey would know all about what would be gained from that.

Many people have come to me, parents, teachers and boards of management members from St. Paul's secondary school in Oughterard and Calasanctius in Oranmore to name but two; there is a long list and I have no time to waste on it. In the Irish Independent of 25 October Mr. John Walsh, a distinguished graduate of NUIG, listed what will happen in three schools in three different parts of the country. In the case of a disadvantaged school in Dublin the net loss is that special subjects, transition year, the applied leaving certificate, the junior certificate, home economics, the Traveller grant and special provisions for physics and chemistry will be abandoned. This is not republican and it is not about citizenship or sustainability. It is a slash and burn, ignorant, savage set of cuts that impact on children who are not responsible for the wild, crazy economics for which Deputy Fahey and his party are responsible. They should be ashamed. These are disgraceful cuts. The Minister can flap all he likes and read his letter from Deputy Gogarty — "Dear Batt in China". Let us hope parents, teachers and children give him the answer he needs.

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