Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is quite a remarkable achievement.

I studied Senator Craughwell's CV in advance of the election and what struck me most was his commitment to teaching and education. I have often said in this Chamber and in other fora that education is the great equaliser. Whatever one's background in society - whether one has a disability, or comes from a poor background - if one gets a quality education, the goalposts may be moved into an equal position. One will then get the same opportunities as everybody else. I am, therefore, like others, looking forward to Senator Craughwell's contributions in the area of education. I would also like to acknowledge his family in the Visitors Gallery. It is a very proud day for them. I remember the first day I came into Seanad Éireann. It was one of the proudest days of my life, so I can appreciate how he is feeling and the sense of achievement and pride in being a Member of the Irish Parliament.

The budget is today, a historic day. Every budget is historic in its own right. I sincerely hope that education is protected and, indeed, that we see more primary school teachers, in particular, and that there are no further cuts to education in the budget.

We need to realise that the time has come to reinvest in education. We have had enough of cuts over the last seven years in terms of SNA hours, resource teachers and so on. I am looking forward to a positive budget in terms of education that will hopefully bring many more citizens in from the margins and ensure that we will see a more equitable framework.