Joe O'Toole (Independent)

The only people with a different view on the matter are those in the Department of Education and Science. There has been an attempt to use world surveys claiming to show North Korea has a better system of education, and that we might have the same if we increased our pupil-teacher ratio, however, such surveys have nothing to do with Ireland. This is a nonsense and we should have a debate on the matter, which we asked for last week. The previous week the Leader indicated we would have a debate on education. However, this has not happened and, therefore, I second the proposal to amend the Order of Business. We should allow such a debate and I do not see why the Deputy Leader could not facilitate it today.

I suggest that for today's debate speaking times should be 12 minutes and eight minutes.