John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)

I can assure Senator O'Toole that I can stick my chest out with the best of them. There is a major decision to be made here about an important issue of public policy. That decision should be made after a full process of analysis and discussion, but that process should not be confined to one Department nor should it be confined to one party. Using our coalition processes, the Government has developed over the last six years education policies that have led to more investment at all levels, more teachers and more access programmes. In coalition Government, we have implemented new steps to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds use the open access to third level education that free fees provide.

Since 1997, spending has increased from €500,000 to €26 million on measures to open up third level education to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. We have worked with the Higher Education Authority, the universities and the institutes of technology and we have funded initiatives for third level opportunity in Ballymun, Blanchardstown, Clondalkin, Tallaght, Limerick and Wexford. We have introduced special rates of maintenance grants, the millennium partnership fund for disadvantage and the student assistant fund. Together with the free fees initiative, these programmes are working to help increase access to third level education.

The parties in Government share the objective of making greater progress on education at all levels. That is why the Progressive Democrats have supported on every occasion the work of the Minister for Education and Science in initiating a review of student support measures to ensure they are effective in achieving greater access. We await the outcome of this review. The Progressive Democrats in Government will give detailed consideration to the Minister's proposals based on the review when they are brought forward and that is why we support the amendment to the motion tonight.

This coalition Government has implemented for six years the policy of free fees for third level education. Third level education is now as important for our country's development as second level was in the 1960s.