Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Yes they do but, unfortunately, not in the same numbers. I do not blame people, but when we examine the statistics, the more rural the area, the greater the number of young people who access higher education, even though the number of parents in those areas who have had third level education is lower. Belmullet is the lowest of all the Gaeltacht areas in terms of parents with third level education, however, up to 75% of children there receive third level education, despite the geographic challenge of getting from Belmullet to even Galway or Castlebar. If we are serious about societal issues, that is a major challenge. I hope I will have another opportunity to come back to the Seanad to debate seriously these issues.

I am passionately committed to RAPID areas in Dublin and elsewhere and I spend a great deal of time in them. In some cases the percentage of young people accessing third level education is as low as 1% or 2%. I ask myself what is the difference. It is not that they have fewer resources in schools, because in many cases the school buildings are better and they have extra teachers. Neither is it the case that people are far away from the colleges, because they are near them, nor that they do not have jobs down the road because they are right beside them. My conclusion is that there is a different culture in those areas. Culture is hugely important. In the context of rural Ireland we are lucky that there has been a strong tradition of community, culture and togetherness. There are much better opportunities per capita for children in rural Ireland. That is not to blame anybody. That is to state a fact.

Let us do something for people who are deprived in urban Ireland. That is what I am trying to do. It makes no sense to push everybody out of the place where we are getting the good outcomes. Ireland is full of contradictions. One day I am told by the experts that nobody wants to live in rural Ireland and asked why we should push them out there. The next day I am told too many people are trying to build houses in rural Ireland. If people are not living there how can that be the case? I believe in building houses only for people who live permanently in rural Ireland. I would like to know how to solve that conundrum. I believe a large number of people want to live in rural Ireland. What we see constantly is that young people want to migrate to the cities when they reach the age of 18 and have a great time. However, when they settle down and have children they suddenly realise that rural Ireland was a great place to live when they were young. The Government should offer people the choice. We should not try to direct anybody. I believe in a free country. If I want to live in the city, I will live in the city and if I want to live in the country, I will live in the country.