Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The point is that it would still potentially inhibit parents if they had not paid the fee to go along that evening. Surely, as a first principle, those of use who claim to be republicans must believe in free education. This is not pie in the sky, it happens throughout most of Europe. It is the norm. The reason it has not happened here is that, unfortunately, because of our history, rather than having a left-right divide, we have been dominated by two right-wing parties that do not believe in universalism and that never have believed in it. Somehow, they feel it is okay that people should pay fees and that it would save the State some money. It does, but at what cost to children and to the principle of equality?

If this recovery is to mean anything, surely the first thing the Government should do, if it gets to introduce the next budget, is ring-fence that €103 million. As Fergus Finlay stated last year, it is petty change in terms of the overall budget for education. Ring-fence the money and make education free. This can be done. What is lacking, and what has always been lacking, is the political will to make it happen. This is why I welcome the Bill. It is a very simple clear Bill that would enable real progress to be made. We should all work together to progress the Bill through the House quickly and put it up to the Government and Ministers to see whether they really believe in the principle of free education.

Another irony regarding the €103 million is the question of by how much we subsidise private fee paying schools each year. I cannot recall the figure but I believe it is somewhere between €35 million and €45 million a year. How does the Minister of State square subsidising private fee-paying schools while allowing parents to suffer because they do not have the money to send their children to school and it is putting them into debt? How can he possibly justify this? What reason could he give for allowing it to continue? It comes down to choices and ideology. For those of us on the left, the lesson is to push progressive politics, as is happening this evening, and not to prop up these parties even if it takes a little longer to get the change we need. For too long we have put up with conservative politics in this country and what it has led to is inequality, mass immigration and failure, not just once but several times.

I am delighted that, to be fair, the Bill will not be opposed and I commend my colleagues in the Labour Party on bringing it forward. If the Government is serious about making a difference, it should ring-fence the money and make it happen. What could be more important than building true equality into our education system? Surely that is more important than tax cuts. Surely it is more important than subsidising multinational companies that already get a hell of a deal in this country. Perhaps we need more debate on this. As I have said, it is an ideological issue. I welcome the contributions made this evening. I hope we get a little more time to see how far we can bring the Bill and challenge the Government and the innate conservatism that has held us back for too long.