Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Okay. I asked one question, but I was given a commentary on what was wrong. People who happen to be in hospital will get no comfort from the Taoiseach's assertion that this extra charge does not apply to just to one illness or disease.

To refer to the question about post-leaving certificate courses, PLCs, my question was not about fee-paying schools but about colleges of further education. The post-leaving certificate courses involved are a liberation for many young people who might not have made it through education the first time around, who might not have made their minds up or who might have been in some other difficulty at the time and they now wish to get back into further education. With respect, the Taoiseach's answer was wrong. The Teachers Union of Ireland has said that the increase in the pupil-teacher ratio will result in the loss of 200 whole-time equivalent posts. This could mean up to 400 part-time posts. The cut is penny wise and pound foolish. It is not good economics, leaving aside the philosophy that underpins it. The Government has saved €4 million, but the social consequences are immeasurable. The Government is robbing many citizens of the opportunity of further education. Contrast that with what the Taoiseach says about retraining people and opening education to people. For many, PLCs are a first step into a successful career. Was an equality assessment of this measure carried out? The Taoiseach did not answer that question.

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