David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister does mumble. He may not realise it but he does.

To return to the issue of lecturing hours, the international norm is between eight and ten hours per week. Since the recession began, funding for the institutes of technology has been cut by 32% and lecturer numbers have fallen by 10%, while student numbers have increased by over 20%. This is a really serious problem.

I wish to return to a point I made earlier. I know I will be the only Member to say this, even though every Member of these Houses is thinking it and discussing it in the bar and restaurant, but what about Members of the Oireachtas? I ask the Minister to think about the aforementioned increment because it affects pensions. Ours is not a particularly well paid job these days. As a Member of Seanad Éireann, my income is down by almost 50% because of the cuts to the increments and allowances. That is quite a big sacrifice. I know it is unpopular for public representatives to complain about their income but I will do so because I tell the truth, regardless of whether it is popular. I ask the Minister to address these matters.