Dominic Hannigan (Labour)

These people need to be supported by us. Everybody has the right to go back to school or college and upskill and learn new skills. We must help middle-aged workers who are out of a job and give them the skills to take part in the information economy. That is how we make our workforce stronger, retain multinationals located in this country and encourage new companies to come here.

In Ireland we spend 4.5% of our gross domestic product on education. France and Austria spend 6% while Denmark spends 8%. Limited education, access to education and quality of education will limit economic growth. Spending more on education and constantly reviewing and improving the quality of our education system are the best ways to ensure a sound economic future for the country.