Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The schools are not in a position to absorb this cut in their staffing or to fund it in some other way. The decision is deeply regressive and short-sighted and it should be reversed.

The issue that has served to expose the cynicism of the Government parties' election campaigns more than any other is student charges. The solemn pledge not to increase them which the Tánaiste and Deputy Quinn signed, was part of a direct campaign to win student votes. Four days before polling day Deputy Quinn went to the gates of Trinity College and signed that pledge. He looked into the eyes of the students of USI and said Labour would deliver the pledge in Government. Deputies Quinn and Gilmore were fully aware of the State's financial position when they made their pledge.

With this increase and the move to reduce student voting by holding elections on Thursdays, students are now fully aware of what the Labour Party really thinks of them. Of all the broken promises, that was one of the most cynical. It reinforces the sense among many young people about politics and their cynicism towards it. It damages politics for the younger generations to come.

Several weeks ago the Minister for Education and Skills briefed a newspaper about a plan to abolish grants for post-graduate students. That announcement was probably another exercise in manipulating expectations through the media, so that people would be relieved when the Minister abolished only the maintenance element of the grant. This decision was on no one's agenda before the election. It will limit access to post-graduate studies for students from poorer families or will force them into extra part-time work which will undermine their studies. This runs against all strategies for increasing access, meeting skill needs and developing the knowledge economy.

This change also fits into a consistent pattern across Departments where rural areas will feel a disproportionate share of the burden. Rural schools are being targeted to lose hundreds of teachers. The extra charge for rural school transport, condemned last year by Fine Gael and Labour as an outrage, is not only being retained, it is being doubled. Rural students, who are those more likely to qualify for maintenance grants will have less access to post-graduate study. Rural Garda stations will close in higher numbers than elsewhere. The means testing and income criteria changes to farm assist will hit poorer families. Changes to REPS and the disadvantaged areas scheme will hit the most vulnerable farmers.

We welcome various changes announced yesterday which will help in the transfer of farms and we welcome the Government's stated commitment to continue implementing our strategy for creating jobs in the agri-food sector. However, the accumulated impact of the changes announced this week makes very bad news for rural areas. In areas like south west Cork, where the Government controls 100% of Dáil representation, Government Deputies will have a difficult time explaining how their constituents will disproportionately feel the impact of cuts to schools, Garda stations and health facilities.

In the early stages of the general election campaign, Fine Gael spent much effort telling people with mortgage and rent pressures that a vote for them would bring thousands of euro in reliefs. Many people fell for those promises, and the measures announced yesterday come nowhere near meeting the urgent needs of a section of society facing enormous pressures. The Minister said he will soon get around to dealing with the Keane report on mortgage arrears. There is no need to wait. A Bill is on the Order Paper, and has passed Second Stage, which could be quickly adopted and begin to help these families. If the Taoiseach really believes in Dáil reform and in taking on board meaningful suggestions, Deputy Michael McGrath's Debt Settlement and Mortgage Resolution Office Bill is worthy of implementation and should be taken on board. The Government is prevaricating too long on the Keane report itself.

The Minister's announcement that there are now insuperable legal barriers to ending upward-only rent reviews is, again, a deep blow for many businesses who listened to Fine Gael and Labour promises for immediate abolition.

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