Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I wish to convey my best wishes to everyone in the House for a happy Christmas and a bright new year. It is important to be positive in confronting the real challenges that face us. I state this as I learn Ireland has lost 200 top quality research jobs to Romania because of the lack of suitably qualified IT graduates at the top level, an issue we have flagged previously. This is happening because the education system is not delivering top quality graduates. We have asked the Leader for a debate on the Programme for International Student Assessment, PISA, which examines proficiency in mathematics, literacy and science which are fundamental to delivering top graduates. Throughout the year I asked the Leader for a debate - to be honest, I am quite ashamed he did not deliver - on early school leavers and the report in which Senator Bacik, others Members of the House and I were involved.