Dáil debates

Wednesday, 24 October 2012

Prospects for Irish Economy: Statements (Resumed)

 

9:00 pm

Photo of Jonathan O'BrienJonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State will agree that when the Government took office there was a real sense of hope that the changes promised by both the Labour Party and Fine Gael prior to the election would herald a change in the economic direction this State was taking. There is no doubt that the challenges facing the Government are significant, and no one will underestimate these. Our economic sovereignty has been handed over to outside forces by Fianna Fáil, a fact we should never forget. Some of the individuals who sit on the Fianna Fáil benches and lecture us in the Chamber are the very people who ruined this economy, bankrupted the State and drove large numbers of our citizens into poverty. Now they speak as if they had been sitting on the Opposition benches for the past 14 years. They take no responsibility for what they have done. As far as I am concerned, they have no morals, integrity or credibility. They implemented policies to serve their own selfish political agenda and for no other reason, a fact we should never let them forget. Some Fianna Fáil members who have left the House live on huge pensions while the policies they implemented have forced many of our people into income poverty, mortgage debt and tough decisions over whether to put food on the table or pay an electricity bill. That is Fianna Fáil’s legacy. Some of its Members who preach to all sides in the Chamber should take a long hard look in the mirror and think before they open their mouths.

As we now approach the second budget of this Fine Gael-Labour Party Government, people are beginning to lose hope that it will bring about the changes it promised. Some commitments in the programme for Government have already been reneged on, such as that of tackling upward-only rent reviews. The longer this goes on, the more despondent people become. It is the responsibility not just of the Government but of the Opposition to put forward credible alternatives and give those suffering in our society some sense of hope.

Most countries that go through a recession recognise the importance of education and will protect funding for the sector. They recognise it has a key role in the recovery of any economy and in ensuring young people and those on the dole are given the skills and training to get them into employment and contribute to economic recovery. The Minister of State will be aware there was a protest earlier today outside Leinster House by several teacher unions at which they voiced their concern and disgust at the number of cuts to the education sector in previous budgets. The change to the income of new-entrant teachers is having a detrimental effect on morale. Many of them are now faced with the prospect of earning significantly less than teachers who entered the profession two years ago. Given that these are the individuals we are asking to assume responsibility for educating the next generation of citizens upon whom we will rely for recovery of the economy, it is a shame the Government has seen fit to target their incomes. It is a detrimental step and one for which we will suffer in the longer term. It also shows the lack of importance of education for the Government.

For the forthcoming budget, the Minister for Education and Skills has said up to €77 million will have to come out of the education budget. Over the next two years, the total reduction will come to €147 million. This figure excludes cuts announced in last year’s budget, such as the multi-annual reduction in capitation grants. These types of cut will impact on the quality of education provided in our schools and universities. There is no way of skirting around this issue. The Minister of State, Deputy Alex White, will agree with that, although he may not say it publicly. The Minister for Education and Skills has said he is doing everything he can to ensure front-line services are protected. However, it is just not possible to take that amount of funding out of an education budget without affecting front-line services or the quality of education provision. I have no doubt the Minister has a tough job and is facing some significant challenges in the sector. However, it is not just his responsibility to protect education. It is the responsibility of all members of the Cabinet to put a special emphasis on the protection of the education budget. That is the budget that has a potential impact on our opportunity to regain our economic sovereignty.

Schools are now being forced to ask parents, who are already facing really hard choices in their own personal finances, for voluntary contributions to balance their budgets due to cuts to capitation grants. I have seen letters from schools, particularly primary schools, in Cork asking parents for their children to bring in basic essentials such as toilet roll and hand-wash. They are also asked to take home unfinished lunches and parings from pencils because the schools cannot afford to empty their bins. I implore the Government to ensure the education budget is protected in the forthcoming budget. If the planned cuts of €77 million go ahead, there is no doubt the cost of sending kids to school will increase, and this cost will have to be borne by already hard-pressed parents struggling to make ends meet. It should be remembered they will also face cuts in other areas such as social welfare. I hope the Minister of State will highlight to his party colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, the need to ensure the education budget cuts are tempered as much as possible.

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