Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I heard the Minister say that the €32 million in savings will be spent many times over. I am delighted to hear that but that needs to be said and put on the record because the word does not need to go out to our country and young people that this Government is cutting services for and trying to make savings on the back of our young people when they are our greatest human resource now and in the future. I take it that the Minister will lay a report before the Oireachtas on that. Could she clarify that at the end?

I compliment her on one or two things I heard her say. I like the fact that she said that she is working on the prediction of exit from the live register. More information about that would be helpful. I agree with her about the dual model of not just academic but artisan and vocational because countries like Germany do so much better on that. Our education system over-emphasises the academic stream. As a result, people look to be doctors, nurses or teachers. They are not multipliers. They are not entrepreneurs. They are not going to be job creators when the high status goes to those looking for a job on their own or in the public service. If every course offered also contained an entrepreneurship cross-cutting theme where students were shown how to set up their own business, we could see quite a sea change.