Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis na Seanadóirí as ucht an díospóireacht seo a chur ar bun inniu. It is not the first time we have discussed education in this House. As somebody who, as Minister for Education and Science, is responsible for everything from preschool to postgraduate studies, involving 1 million students, 50,000 teachers, 4,000 schools, seven universities, 15 institutes of technology, training colleges and a budget of €7.8 billion, there is plenty for us to discuss.

While the Independent Senators have focussed their attention just on the primary school sector, they would be the first to admit that in all elements across the sector significant progress has been made. This has been achieved in a spirit of partnership with the teachers, management, the parents and in consultation with the young people, building on considerable investment by the Government and a desire on everybody's part to ensure that we continue to make progress in the area of education to ensure that it continues to be at the core of the social and cultural development, as well as the economic development, of our nation.

A number of different issues have been raised. As 15 minutes will not allow me to address all of them, I will focus on some. The important matter, as Senator Ross stated, is that the child is at the centre and there is no doubt about that in all that we do. Whether it is the child in the mainstream class, the special class or the special school, the child from a disadvantaged area or the one who has come new to our country and who needs special attention, each of those children is now being afforded greater opportunities than children had in the past to reach his or her own potential. Similarly, each of their teachers is now being afforded greater support than teachers had in the past.

It is with a desire to continue in that vein that I, as Minister for Education and Science, will be moving towards the next year in building on our policies and continuing to develop other ones. That includes such matters as the physical school environment as well as what is happening in the schools. It is interesting that a number of years ago we probably would have had a lengthy debate on the capital programme for schools, etc., and yet it is not even mentioned in the motion.