Joe O'Toole (Independent)

You may have noticed, a Chathaoirligh, an article in today's Irish Independent on school league tables which, more than anything else, shows how unreliable they are but that is not the point I wish to have discussed. I ask the Leader to provide an opportunity to discuss the fact that this country is developing into one where not just the quality of a school but the quality of education is determined by the letters after a person's name, which is appalling. I grew up around very educated people but 95% of them never went to third level. It is an appalling idea that our education system will be judged now on the number of students schools send to third level and, even worse, that people will be judged by the number of degrees they attain without any reference to the qualities we are trying to inculcate in a new generation of Irish people, qualities such as justice, mercy, tolerance, articulation, leadership, creativity and art history. They cannot be measured but they are by far the most important requirement. In a previous life I am sure the Leader would have agreed with me on that.

This country produced The Chieftains, Brendan Behan, senior civil servants, politicians and leaders of political parties who never had a third level qualification. I believe I am entitled to say that representing third level graduates in this august assembly. I would never have thought a third level qualification was an essential requirement to an educated person and it is appalling that we are going down that road. It is no wonder we are producing people who do not have time for or toleration or understanding of each other and all the difficulties our society is facing. I am sure the Minister for Education and Science will be happy to discuss this issue. Senator Ormonde shares many of my views on this issue, as I am sure does the Leader.

A month ago, I raised the need for a debate in this House on supports for alternative energy. I also pointed to the significant number of newspaper articles on the necessity of looking to nuclear energy as a means of dealing with our energy requirements. The British Prime Minister put forward the same proposal yesterday.

There is no doubt that there is major interest in this area. The debate I have called for should encompass an examination of wind energy for domestic uses, solar energy for heating and domestic uses, and proper incentives and supports for biofuels and alternative energy sources, be they wood pellets or whatever. The time for this debate is before the budget. There are actions we can take to deal with the problems relating to the Kyoto Protocol. Nuclear energy is not necessary at this time. I welcome a debate to focus people's mind on this issue.