Joe O'Toole (Independent)

In addition to a debate on health, we also need a debate with the Minister for Education and Science on education matters. The Leader told the House last week that he would arrange a debate on education. I appreciate that my colleagues in the Labour Party have tabled a Private Members' motion for discussion later which relates to education issues, but we would like a debate during Government time with the Minister for Education and Science. That needs to take place.

I do not know whether Members on the Government side have taken much notice of what the Minister has been saying. I hope to outline later the false information and misinformation he has been giving out about the impact of his cuts. It does not help anybody to be found out on these issues. I do not know where we are going and the Leader should ask the Minister to come into the House to explain himself. He has developed a new line in economics — Battonomics. He is telling the world that the Celtic tiger grew out of the large classes of ten years ago, inferring that if we have overly large classes again, we might have a new Celtic tiger. We might also secure global warming and much more with large classes the way he is going.

What he is doing is ludicrous. He referred to partnership, which also needs to be examined. He blew education out of the water, so to speak, without consulting anyone and then visited China where he said he would like to sit down and talk to people. People tried to respond to that by outlining ways through which he might find the money only for him to say on a visit to UCC earlier this week that there would be no change. Last night he stated on "Prime Time" that teachers must take their medicine and the Government will not make any changes. What way is that to do business? He has shut the door on talks and the only response to that is hard action.

I would like to hear from the Green Party Members who have not heard the Minister say there will be not talks as they refer to an opportunity to do something. If the Minister is honest about the cuts he requires and he is telling the truth about their impact, I could sit down and sort it with him in half an hour. There would not be a difficulty doing so without the need for overly large classes and the other actions he is trying to take within the education sector. However, he does not appear to want to do that. I understand we will debate education issues later but I am trying to deal with the political aspect on the Order of Business. I ask that the debate promised last week take place.

The governing body of UCC took a decision yesterday on stem cell research. I do not care whether Members criticise the university administrators but the harsh realty is we, as a Legislature, have funked making a decision on it.