James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

It fails to see its real role in our society and our economy. At its heart, my Department is a services Ministry, but it is also much more. It is an economic Ministry and an enabler of everything we want to do. The challenges we are facing, including global trade uncertainty, digital disruption, AI, the green transition and climate change, all demand we lead with the talent, science and skills my Department supports and nurtures. It is here. It is latent in our people. That talent is our greatest national asset and my job is to nurture it and enable it to flourish. The Government is built around that core philosophy and that forward-looking thinking. It is grounded in a belief that education is transformative in two key ways. The first is as a ladder of opportunity for individuals and their families and the second is as the engine of innovation that drives our economy forward. Our commitments on higher education and student supports in the programme for Government and elsewhere reflect the best of those values. That is why I am committed to ensuring our research and education systems are properly resourced so that they can continue to build the knowledge and capabilities that underpin that success and that prosperity. It is also why I fully intend to deliver on the programme for Government commitment to reduce the student contribution fee over the lifetime of this Government.

I will address some of the issues posed by the motion and the events of recent days. Perhaps I am unusual, but I believe in a straight answer to a straight question and that honesty is the best policy.

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