Joe O'Toole (Independent)

The Minister inherited this legacy. She cannot be blamed for asking how a class size of 20:1 can be delivered. It is not her demand; it is a commitment which the Government made to the people. The Minister is entitled to get the resources to implement it. I do not see how the Taoiseach or the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, can do other than support her. They might say they do not have the money at present and that it will not all be available at once. That is okay. We all have to work within resources.

We had a debate previously in the House about rights-based provisions. Such issues will always be defined by the resources that are available. However, it would be unacceptable for somebody in the Department of Finance to say that no resources are available for this, that it is pie in the sky and will not be done.

Let us hear a restatement of the commitment on class sizes of 20:1. Let us hear the process by which it will be delivered. Let us see what will be invested in educational disadvantage over the next year. Let us hear that the letter will go out to schools outlining the fact that we want untrained people out of classrooms. Let us hear what will be included in special education and how we will deal with the gap created by the loss of SNAs.

I wish the Minister well in that very difficult task and I do not underestimate what is involved in what I have proposed that she should do.