Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the debate on this motion on further education and training. I totally support the motion because it is a very important part of the equation in getting this country up and running after the economic crisis. All economists, teachers, educationalists and most sensible TDs in this House recognise that education is a huge part of our economic recovery and ending disadvantage in our society. If we fail to do this we do not have a hope in hell of getting people back to work or ending the emigration crisis. Further education is a huge part of that strategy and it is also part of the equality debate and the poverty debate. I commend Fianna Fáil for putting forward this motion. It states:

Further Education and Training ... is a hugely important sector that provides an important educational pathway for unemployed, disadvantaged learners and second chance learners to access specialist labour focused courses and to secure employer; the FET sector has a crucial role providing education and training for people that the traditional ... system has failed and this has been unfairly targeted and cut in Budget 2013; [more importantly] Budget 2013 will cut up to 500 positions from this vital service and will increase the pupil-teacher ratio and reduce the training allowances for further education and training scheme participants; and the cuts to the FET sector are socially and economically regressive affecting the unemployed and the most marginalised learners in our education system ... [I am calling] on the Government to reverse these regressive and unfair cuts as unemployment is at 14.6 percent and youth unemployment ... [is at] 30 percent ... ensure that no courses will be cut from the FET sector ... commit to tackling educational disadvantage ... [and] publish any impact assessment that was carried out by the Department of Education and Skills.

That is what this motion is about and that is what we need to do. If we need the extra revenue, we need to make those who have the most pay the most. That is what is real equality and fairness.

I wonder where the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, Deputies Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Tommy Broughan, Seán Kenny and Terence Flanaghan are tonight. Not one of the north side TDs is in the House tonight for this very important debate on education.

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