Joe O'Toole (Independent)

That is the point I was making. I was looking at the precise terminology. The colleges of education are there for the single purpose of producing teachers. When I was in college there was a requirement that qualifying teachers commit to teaching in the State for at least the first five years of their career. This was seen as a payback for the costs of the development. The B.Ed. is a specialist qualification that qualifies the person for one job only. What the graduate decides to do is another matter. It is precisely analogous to the Garda college, nursing colleges and cadetships. I understand that nursing colleges are in some way covered if they are attached to hospitals.

It seems reasonable to approach this as a matter of equity to ensure that the expectations of students currently in college are maintained and preserved. I ask the Minister of State to consider this. Perhaps the Department can look at it between now and Report Stage and give some indication of movement on it.