Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chuir roimh an Aire Stáit. This debate is timely and opportune. I compliment the Fine Gael spokesperson on education, Senator Healy Eames, on a positive and worthwhile contribution which has enlightened the debate. I hope the Minister will consider her suggestions, especially on in-service training. As a teacher I am aware of how important that is. We need to change the modus operandi and allow teachers the opportunity and flexibility to further their education and to educate others.

The debate is especially opportune given that students from around the country are present in the Gallery. Education is the lifeblood of our knowledge-based economy. It is the platform on which we can rebuild this country. The young men and women in the Gallery require two things from Government; a plan, which needs vision, and hope so they will have a chance in five or ten years of being a qualified graduate with an opportunity to find employment within their own country. The Government has put up the "For Sale" sign and forced people to emigrate and to apply for courses in the United Kingdom, in effect, to opt for anything other than what they want. We must give hope to those in the education system. That means we must have a plan and policies.

I disagree often with Senator Ormonde but I agree with one thing she said, namely, that we must examine the PLC system. We must acknowledge the tremendous work they have done and the flexibility they have introduced. Many PLCs are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., but they do not get due recognition. We need to strike a balance. A former principal used to say that one required the leaving certificate plus. As a teacher I recognise the importance of academic qualifications. The knowledge-based economy and the competitive global market dictates that we have graduates and post-graduates to PhD level and beyond.

However, we must also remember that some students will not attain the leaving certificate plus and will not go to college. They are the students who do the leaving certificate applied and those in Youthreach programmes who have an equal right to have their needs catered for and to be provided with an opportunity to flourish and let their light shine. The Government has dismantled the education system. Cutbacks have been made to special needs education, the VEC system and Youthreach. We are failing to allow young people to avail of education and therefore to flourish.

Let us forget the spin. The Minister of State's speech was great. I could not criticise any of it. However, the reality and what he said are two different things. That is a fact. I accept we live in a competitive world where India and China are producing graduates of quality, but so are we. If one does not service one's car or provide public transport one does not go anywhere. We have under-utilised our education system. The Government has demoralised teachers and university lecturers and created mayhem in the third level sector. The NUI has been abolished. Why did we abolish an independent awarding body of profound importance and impact? What message did that send to the educational establishments? The reason was to save a few million euro.