Feargal Quinn (Independent)

One very important development in education in the past 13 years has been the leaving cert applied. I was chairman of the committee of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment that established it 13 or 14 years ago. Since then, thousands of students have passed through the leaving cert applied. It is a full leaving cert but it measures the talents and intelligence of people not measured by the traditional leaving cert. Instead of sitting in an exam and writing what one knows, it measures ability to communicate by speaking and many other talents and intelligence on that basis. It has been very successful and is particularly suitable for people in retail, catering, hotels and hospitality.

In recent weeks, due to a change in administration, Fáilte Ireland has now arranged for the next courses in hospitality training to be handled by the institutes of technology, which do not recognise the leaving cert applied. This must be resolved. It is the perfect examination and certificate for those who are going into hospitality, retail and many other areas. On that basis, the Minister for Education and Science must get to work immediately with the institutes of technology and their association to change this arrangement. The arrangement has worked well and it is not the fault of Fáilte Ireland, which recognises the ability. The problem is the change in arrangements.

When asked about salaries in semi-State companies the Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey, said that the Government should not interfere in these companies. It seems very likely in this case but I would like him to come to the House to tell us whether he has interfered. Senator Ó Brolcháin mentioned ministerial interference and then referred to divine interference. I was sure he was going to ask God to come in here to make an excuse or explain what happened.