Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank my fellow Senators for their great and generous contributions to this debate and for their recognition of the value of Springboard and its benefits, past and future, for many people. To address Senator Craughwell's point, Oscar Wilde said that he could not help liking anyone who liked him. I thank the Senator for his generous remarks and will reciprocate by saying that he is extremely interested in education and training boards, ETBs, and further education and training, as is every Member present. For example, Senator Mooney has made good contributions on this matter.

As a member of the Council of Europe, I contributed to a report by Dr. Piotr Wach, another member, on raising the status of vocational education and training. I will circulate it to Members, including the Minister of State. In the German model, there is a 50:50 split between further education and degree-level education, which arose because of its guild system. This model seems to be working. With the Minister of State as the pilot, we are increasing the status and value of further education and training. It is the way forward. The people training in further education and training centres will be the millionaires and entrepreneurs who employ degree holders in the years to come. We must continue supporting and enhancing this sector.

Mr. Martin O'Brien from Monaghan was mentioned. What a man. All of the ETBs' CEOs and members are working so hard that the future is bright.

As the Minister of State will agree, all of the Senators present have been generous in their comments on Springboard and have resisted the temptation to kick us in the shins. That is because, first, they are fair people and, second, it is a good programme. The Minister of State has, in principle, supported my suggestion of considering ways of extending the concept of Springboard to the low-paid so as to provide increased mobility in the jobs market and, in an aspirational society, not to close doors on anyone. This is the great value of our new system. One can do an apprenticeship and still be on the ladder to gaining a PhD.

I was captivated by the Minister of State's response, enthusiasm, expertise, detailed knowledge and passion for increasing every worker's self-esteem.