Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

Can the Leader tell us why the Minister for Education and Children is boycotting this House? Since the budget was introduced he has not once come into this House to answer any questions on his education brief. Yesterday we saw 15,000 students protest outside Government Buildings. They are fearful that third level fees could be reintroduced. We have had no debate in this House on the funding of third level education.

This situation is critical. I met students in Galway who told have told me that if fees are reintroduced, they will have to quit college and join the dole queue as they will not be able to pay them because their parents have lost their jobs. No vision has been shown here. The students are our future.

Fianna Fáil councillors have written to me requesting that the book grant be reintroduced and that home school liaison teachers be retained. People are desperately trying to cope and the effects of the education cuts have not been felt yet. Most of them will come in on 1 September next year. I ask that the Leader give us a date when the Minister for Education and Children will come into this House for an urgent debate on education.

I sense great concern among people at the unfairness of the first prong of the announcement of the public service cuts by the Taoiseach, Deputy Cowen. I received a call from a person yesterday who said, "In this country we have the reverse of Robin Hood where we are asking the poor and the easy targets to pay for the sins of the rich." It is unpalatable that people who did not cause the problem are the first who are being asked to pay. In the interests of moving forward matters, I suggest the Ministers for Finance and Enterprise, Trade and Employment go first to the bankers, speculators and Ministers and ask them what can they offer.