Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I welcome the clarification by the Department of Education and Skills in advance of the teachers voting on the Croke Park deal. It was important that we had a clarification that the school year — 167 days in secondary and 183 days in primary — will be protected. I do not know how teachers could have voted for the deal without that clarification because with the permanent contract up for renegotiation it was a dangerous move to ask any employee to vote on this agreement. I welcome also that teachers will be voting on the fact that school planning days and parent teacher meeting days will be outside of the school year. That is huge progress. I wish them luck and ask them to vote for the Croke Park deal.

It is now time for a moment calm in this country. I ask that the Taoiseach, Deputy Brian Cowen, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, make a state of the nation address to the effect that there are some signs of recovery and to outline Ireland's road map in the context of the current eurozone crisis.