Liam Fitzgerald (Fianna Fail)

That Senator Ulick Burke suggests the Minister of State should establish an approach outside the education system and segregate it is missing the point. Partnership has been a recurring theme of late and is a good topic on which to start my contribution. Partnership, vision and education are one and the same issue. Sylda Langford recently defined partnership, in a tongue in cheek and off the cuff remark, as "mutual loathing temporarily set aside in the interests of funding". All of us across the country and in every area of society would do well to ponder upon that. It is full of nuggets of insight if we dig deeper.

I welcome this debate. Contrary to what the Minister of State has heard, she has been and is held in high esteem by many members of the National Educational Officers Association. She will be held in such esteem in future also. They also acknowledge the high regard she holds for adult education, which derives from her rich and varied educational and professional experience. The Minister of State has referred only briefly to this and she has not done justice to herself in the fleeting reference made.

I have no authority from Members to say this, my authority is based on my many frequently challenging exchanges with a number of the members at my clinics and other educational and social functions. I derive authority from this to make such statements with conviction and without fear of contradiction.

We all share a dream about adult and future education, appropriately adopted in the strategic plan of 2006-10, which the Minister received from them late last year. She warmly welcomed the members, gave them much time and there was a mutual exchange of views. They warmly thanked the Minister of State. The members with whom I constantly engage and are challenged thank the Minister of State again today, not only for that experience, but for the many exciting initiatives she has introduced, promoted or brought forward as part of the vision for adult education on her watch.

I wish to put on the record the vision shared by the Minister of State, the members of the National Educational Officers Association and myself. It states: "Our vision is of an inclusive Irish education system that provides equal access to lifelong learning opportunities for all adults". This epitomises everything the Minister and Government stands for with regard to adult and future education.