Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

There is a really strong message that we should be sending to young people in December and January. The CAO applications for the third level colleges and post-leaving certificate courses go in at the end of January. If these young people have to make a choice, they must go for education. The same people who would qualify for social welfare such as jobseeker's assistance, by virtue of living at home with a social welfare family, are also the people who would qualify for a third level grant and, most likely, a top-up grant. They would get their education at the same time.

A person who is 18 or 19 and gets a job has no skills and does not have any formal education and training. They were able to get jobs when there was almost full employment but they are destined to be the people who are long-term unemployed. The same is true for those who are 20 or 21.

There are many educationalists in the room today. We all know the importance of these people having an education, staying in school for as long as possible and going on with further education to gain skills and training. The only difference is that Fine Gael proposals would provide a disincentive to taking up a course. We will incentivise people to take up such courses. We are all working from the same perspective. We have recognised that for many of these young people, there must be a financial incentive to continue the education. That choice is available to them and there is a strong message. The process has worked with those who are 18 and 19, so we believe it can work with those who are 20 or 21 as well.

Senator Buttimer had a specific question on the carbon tax and the national anti-poverty strategy, NAPS. The carbon tax for coal and peat will come into effect in September and there will be an alleviating measure to ensure fuel poverty does not arise.