Joe O'Toole (Independent)

Will the Leader initiate a debate with the Minister for Education and Science on third level grants? We receive numerous queries on this matter and a new issue is that recently retired people are deprived of grants for their student children because they were prudent enough to have saved for an SSIA. The Government addition to the SSIA is taken into consideration and people are deprived of grants. To make a bad decision worse, the withholding tax is not taken into consideration and is included in the calculation which deprives their children of a grant. Other issues also arise and I considered tabling an Adjournment motion on the matter. Members should be aware of this matter and I would welcome a debate on it.

On many occasions, I raised the matter of the need for a debate on the west. I wish to bring to the attention of the House two developments there. In recent days we read in the newspapers of the development through NUI, Galway of a company which produces sustainable and practical wave energy which produces 1 kilowatt output. This is an extraordinary development which we should discuss.

In the University of Limerick waste derived fuel has been developed. In the context of incineration this is the way forward. It is a completely enclosed system of dealing with waste with no smells, heat, incineration or methane. The methane is captured and used as an alternative fuel. It deals powerfully and economically with waste. This is not green wellies and tweeds. It is real industry developed in the west of Ireland. We should recognise it and know more about it. Will the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources come before the House to discuss advances in these areas?