Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I thank Senators Healy Eames, McFadden, O'Toole, Ormonde, Keaveney and Ryan for their contributions which were positive, though sometimes erratic.

If one looks at the allocations in the Department of Education and Science since 1997, it can be seen that this year alone, €9.3 billion was the education budget, which is unbelievable. The continued prioritisation of education in the past 11 years has reversed the historic under-investment in areas such as school facilities, services for children with special needs and those in disadvantaged areas. People have quoted from the OECD report to the effect that Ireland is down the field. That report is based on 2005 figures and does not take into account the significant investment in education in the past three years.