Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy is well aware that I am not in a position to divulge any discussions that take place at the Cabinet in respect of the various adjustments to be made and that must be made by governments in this country between now and 2014. All of the commitments in the programme for Government or in any programme for Government to which Deputy Gilmore subscribed are dependent on the maintenance of financial stability in the country. That is the major issue that must be addressed. We must examine all of these issues and discuss them in a way that ensures we get a contribution from all Departments towards the correction or adjustment that must be made. A strong case can be made for a range of issues where people would like to see a no policy change position.

The context in which these discussions take place means it is imperative that everything is considered. Decisions have not been taken and discussions are ongoing on a range of issues. In recent years we have seen an increase in the number of students attending third level institutions, which increased by 9% last year. Those involved in third level education inform us of the need to find a financial model for the funding of education that will ensure we have a competitive third level sector. It is fundamental to our overall enterprise strategy and industrial policy to provide graduates. One of the strong points about the Irish economy is that we have the highest per capita graduate population for people coming out of universities. We have over 32% of the population with a graduate level education. Clearly it is an important part of our education system.

Deputy Gilmore is aware that I cannot give specifics about the outcomes of ongoing discussions. I can only assure everyone that we are seeking to deal with these matters in an appropriate way and in as fair a way as possible, recognising all the issues. All of the commitments in any programme for Government have, as an overall context, the need to maintain financial stability. When Deputy Kenny rose to ask a question, we spoke about finding a sustainable growth strategy for the country. We must also find a sustainable expenditure policy for the country based on the resources available. To do so is not easy and presents challenges. While Deputy Gilmore is in a position to send positive signals to the students coming along, by suggesting he has an easier way, these issues must be examined carefully.

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