Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I was pleased to listen to the Minister's contribution in which he set out his strategy and the role of education in driving the economy forward.

I will refer to some of the points made by the Minister. He said we must ensure Ireland is in the best possible position to benefit from the next wave of world economic growth. He covered areas of curriculum reform, which I welcome. He referred in particular to reform of the mathematics curriculum and how we can best prepare for the knowledge economy. One of the key areas will be the project maths programme which will reform the mathematics curriculum so that it will cope with the economy of the future.

He also referred to the quality of teaching, curriculum reform, school staffing and the quality of the teachers. He referred to the increase in the number of psychologists in the psychological service which will enable the service to deal with the problems in society due to the downturn. Many families with young children at school will face unemployment and the children will bear the impact. It is important to support the psychological service and the guidance counsellors in schools so that they can deal with the problems resulting from the downturn in the economy.

The Minister does not want education to work in isolation but rather to work in the context of the overall economy. This is his strategy and I welcome all those points. However, I would need two hours' speaking time to cover every aspect so I will concentrate on the area where there is a crisis — those who have been made redundant or are on short-time working. We must prepare courses with this group in mind. The vocational education committees and post-leaving certificate courses must be prepared to meet the new demands. The institutes of technology are also well placed to deal with that challenge. If we are to embrace a new concept of dealing with the modern knowledge economy or the information-based economy, we must revisit the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 1999. We need to revisit FETAC and HETAC. These two bodies were set up in a time when we had a roaring economy, but it is time to tweak these bodies so they can facilitate people to go back into the workforce.

The framework for bringing people back into education and training was set up in 2001 and 2002. There is a plethora of organisations providing education and training. The list includes FÁS, Teagasc, Fáilte Ireland, the VECs, the institutes of technology, professional bodies, training companies and the bodies that train employees. In the middle of this are the employers who need clarity as to the meaning of the different qualifications. We must facilitate employees who wish to improve their qualifications and skills. We must revisit that area as a matter of urgency as it will help the transition back to the workplace.

We must examine existing qualifications and the relationship between universities and the institutes of technology. These institutes are well placed to address the upskilling necessary for the recovery of the economy as they have specialised expertise, the facilities, equipment and support services. Greater efficiencies are required. I refer to the OECD report of 2004 which recommended that the universities and the institutes of technology work more closely together. In many cases they offer similar courses and there is poor utilisation of teaching and capital resources. Co-operation is required in the area of science and engineering. Large expensive machinery and laboratories are not being optimally utilised. The universities and institutes are reluctant to share research and each treasures its own department. Joined-up thinking is needed.

I was pleased that the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Mary Coughlan, set up the Limerick group to deal with the Dell problem. This task force is to work with the unemployed and in conjunction with the university and the institutes of technology in the surrounding area. This is a concept which should be adopted throughout the country. Our strengths should be co-ordinated to facilitate the transition back to education in any of its forms.

The eligibility criteria for further and higher education need to be examined and the expansion of part-time further and higher education must be considered. There must be change in this area in light of the downturn in the economy. We must help the young and not so young, who are vulnerable at this time, back into education, upskilling or reskilling. There is much confusion about not being able to access opportunities in colleges and VECs. VECs are some of the best education bodies to deal with communities. They know the local economic scene and are very much in touch with local industries. While some may argue this is a parochial approach, it is one of the few ways to tackle this crisis. The transition from work to study needs to be streamlined. VECs, industry and training bodies, such as Teagasc and FÁS, must co-ordinate training programmes and avoid duplication.

I want Waterford Institute of Technology to be designated a university. Education contributes to prosperity and the south east requires strong economic regeneration. It must move from a traditional agriculture-based economy to a knowledge-based one. The Minister referred to this as the fourth level of education. Waterford Institute of Technology is in a position to move into that category. Designating it as a university will give status to Waterford and a new sense of pride to the south east.

I know the Minister is considering overhauls in the areas I have outlined. His fine speech gave all Members much to debate. With him in office, we will get the education system back on track and be ready when the upturn comes in the global economy.