Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

Senator O'Toole raised the issue of the Marino Institute of Education and suggested the House should adjourn to allow Members deal with it. I telephoned the Minister for Education and Science's private secretary yesterday. The Minister is giving a lecture in Poland and will not be back in Ireland until the night of 6 May. I was told that she had just cleared, checked and made changes to the Adjournment debates on this issue in the other House. One sometimes wonders whether the parent Minister has made her imprint upon an Adjournment debate when it is held by another Minister or Minister of State but she has done so on this issue. I agree there should be clarity on the matter.

I asked yesterday about having a panel arrangement for special needs assistants because I take the Senator's point. If one is dealing with children who have a disadvantage of some kind, one requires skills of a general nature that can be transferred into specifics later. To lose such people is wrong.

Senator O'Toole also said that private sector pensions cost more than public sector pensions. Senator Ryan joined with him in asking for the Government to intervene in the Marino institute case. Senator Ryan then said during the debate on benchmarking that all of the documents and evidence should be included in the report this time rather than having some destroyed.

Senator White asked for a debate on indigenous small industries and asked for the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to address the House. She suggested what the Minister should say but we have no control over that. However, the European Central Bank's report is positive about Ireland, citing 5.2% economic growth this year, an increase from 4.7%. I remind the House that the euro was worth US$0.90 two years ago and is now worth $1.30. Oil prices have also doubled. The report also says there was an increase in exports from Ireland in 2005.