Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

The facts are that the document has been leaked by somebody who is very close to it, either in the Tánaiste's Department or the Hunt commission because I have been briefed on its alleged contents by people up and down the country. The Tánaiste is trying to change public opinion without telling us what the facts are. The McCarthy report identified €271 million of potential cuts which could take place in the third level budget. How many of those cuts has the Tánaiste put in place since last year? Is it not a fact that there are significant issues around contact times between lecturers and students?

According to the McCarthy report savings of €140 million could be made. If some of the institutions were rationalised €9.2 million could be saved. There is a list of savings, none of which the Tánaiste referred to in her reply. The people who will pay for the inefficiencies in third level education will be parents or young people who will have to borrow money they cannot pay back. The key point, which the information the Tánaiste has and research shows, is the fact that people cannot afford to pay is a factor in then not going to third level education. The Tánaiste is putting an extra penalty on such people as a result of the Government's decision.

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