Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

-----that we should have a one-off package this year, a one-off package next year and so on. We just cannot continue to do that.

Deputy O’Rourke raised an important issue. The qualifications issue pertains to some of the regulatory bodies in specific areas, namely the Medical Council, the Teaching Council – it may not like me saying this but I think it can be quite conservative – and some of the other bodies such as Coru. I have been in touch with the Minister for Health and the Department is moving on Coru. It says it is moving on therapists, for example. It is interesting. It has taken too long to register people who are clearly well qualified and have good international qualifications in speech and language, physio or occupational therapy and it could be a year or a year and a half before they are recognised here. We must be much more nimble. Then there are things like driving licences and all of that. There is a very legitimate issue in terms of people returning to live in Ireland from overseas and how we can reduce the barriers to them reintegrating into society and facilitating that.

Deputy Murphy spoke about education. If a school is four pupils short, he knows it can appeal on the basis of developing school status to retain a teacher. That system has been there for a long time for retaining teachers. Over the last number of years, we have significantly reduced the pupil teacher ratio. I am not saying that is in this case but sometimes it depends on how a principal or the management of a school will deploy teachers. They may have other priorities and they may do it in different ways. That also happens. In this case the Deputy is saying the school is down a teacher and due to lose again next year. I do not know if that is because of population demographics in the area or not but we are investing a lot in education in recent years and we will continue to do that.

Deputy Currie mentioned the exit tax rate in terms of funds and so on. I think the Finance Bill might be an opportunity for her to press that case with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe. That allows for more detailed examination of issues of that kind. I accept the basic principle that sustainable investment and good practice is what we should be encouraging and facilitating.

To Deputy Conway-Walsh I would say renewable energy is the key. Deputy Conway-Walsh is gone. I am kind of alarmed - there were terrible protests about having Leaders' Questions once a week and so on but the leaders of all the parties are not here at all. There we go. Deputy Conway-Walsh has left after asking her question. She will be back, I think, to be fair.

See this speech in context