Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I will be sharing time with Senator McCallion. Mar a dúirt mo chomghleacaithe, guím gach rath ar an Aire Stáit ina théarma nua.

Sinn Féin will be opposing this legislation, although we do not run contrary to any of the valiant views outlined by speakers thus far. All of what has been articulated up to this point by other speakers has made absolute sense. It is what this Government, this Oireachtas and our society should be aspiring to. My concern is why these things are not happening already. Why do we need the duplication of another education Department to deal with these issues when they could slot comfortably into existing Government structures and Departments? While I do not want to get into a ding-dong across this Chamber, I have to talk turkey and be honest.

Many people out there will be understandably and justifiably concerned about the real intention behind this legislation. The Minister of State indicated in his speech that the primary purpose of the Bill is to establish the new Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. We did not hear as much about the other, secondary purpose behind this legislation. My concern is that, in duplicating some of this stuff, we are potentially duplicating the chaos and confusion that currently exists in some of our Departments. When parents facing into a new school term cannot get answers about when their kids will start back at school, what we and the Government need to be focusing on is working effectively within the existing Departments. At a time when people are losing their livelihoods and businesses due to the pandemic, and given the effects Brexit will have on people's lives across the island, we do not need the Government to put massive costs on the taxpayer by creating another Department. In doing so, it is also creating a further three Ministers of State, which is more than exist within the current Department of Education and Skills.

It was worrying to listen to some of my colleagues on the Government side of the House talk aspirationally about what this Department will do, thinking, perhaps innocently, that it will be a panacea. We do not need this Department to do the things colleagues have outlined should be happening. We do not need that duplication and replication within Departments. We have not, as yet, even established joint committees to scrutinise the Government. In this House, we do not yet have Commencement Matters to question the Government and scrutinise its work. This proposed Department does not even have an office yet, but it does have three Ministers of State with quite hefty expenses. What kind of message does that send to the public? At a time when people are under such financial and social strain, one of the first serious items of business to come before this Seanad is the establishment of a Department with another range of "super junior" Ministers, with all the expenses attached. I have to be honest. I will approach this term and the work of this House as collaboratively and collegially with colleagues as I can, but this just whiffs of boxing people off. That is what it looks like and that is what people will justifiably and understandably think of it. I do not disagree with any of the sentiments expressed by colleagues about innovation, green technology, investing in further education and the kinds of benefits innovation and research can bring to our economy, society and communities across the entirety of this country. I have no objection whatsoever to further education institutions working positively together throughout this island and with our neighbouring island. I do not object to any of that and I wish to make that clear. However, I do not think we need this Department or additional Ministers, and a hefty expense along with them, to do any of that. We can and should bring Ministers in to discuss all of the themes and issues raised by Senators and we should do that in a very serious, considered, and thematic way. We do not need to establish this new office-less Department. That is the sincere view of the Sinn Féin group in the Seanad and that is why we will be opposing this particular legislation. That is what the public would expect of us from our priorities as a Seanad and an Oireachtas. I ask colleagues to reflect on that sentiment and consider their own views as we move forward.