Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

I want to raise two issues with the Leader, one of which concerns the debate we have had recently on education. It is critical to the future of this country that its reputation for education be maintained and strengthened at this difficult economic time. I am very concerned about the impact recent reports will have on our international reputation for education. It is critical that the Minister act very quickly to reassure people at home and abroad about the standards in Irish education. I ask for a debate on this critical topic as soon as possible. Many Senators will have a very keen interest in it and will have contributions to make on it.

I am concerned that the comments by directors of Google and Intel have sparked this debate. If we have concerns, we should be highlighting them ourselves and dealing with them rather than relying on the comments of businesses in this country. It is not that I do not welcome their input but we should have sufficiently good internal monitoring systems to identify difficulties. If there are questions about the exaggeration of results or about their not being correct, the Minister should have been acting upon them. I ask him to come to the House and make a statement on this matter. Grade inflation, if it has been occurring, is serious and must be addressed.

The second issue I want to raise concerns the Government's banking strategy. I propose an amendment to the Order of Business to ask the Minister to discuss it. Once again, we see the severe difficulties our banks are in. The question arises as to whether the approach the Government is taking is effective. Clearly, businesses are closing. We heard at the weekend of hundreds more job losses and an increasing number of businesses are talking about the pressures exerted by rent increases and upward-only rent reviews, which are crippling them, and the great difficulties they are experiencing in accessing credit. It is very clear there is a major gap in the Government's banking strategy.

We have been warned of mortgage rate increases. Allied Irish Banks warned about them in its statements yesterday. The pre-tax losses it has recorded show what a very challenging time this is for banking. Clearly, the Government's banking strategy is in serious trouble in so far as aiding the recovery of the economy is concerned. It is appropriate that a Minister attend today to discuss this.