Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Vol. 805 No. 1

Topical Issue Debate

Public Sector Pensions Issues

Deputy Olivia Mitchell

I appreciate the opportunity to raise this issue. It concerns an individual case in which I believe an injustice is being done, whereby a person's public service pension is erroneously being reduced. While I would not normally raise an individual case, I do so for two reasons. First, others in similar circumstances may now or in the future be similarly treated and second, I believe the existing injustice may now be compounded by the legislation Members are due to pass tomorrow and which will be discussed later this evening.

In a nutshell, the pensioner concerned worked for more than 30 years in the private sector and during that time, accumulated a substantial pension fund. Towards the end of his career, he transferred to the National Treasury Management Agency, NTMA, which is in the public service, and transferred his accumulated pension fund assets to the NTMA's pension fund. The bottom line is that 62% of his pension now comes from his privately-purchased pension pot. In other words, he paid into the NTMA scheme a sum agreed with the agency that allowed his agreed pension to be paid to him without any cost to the NTMA or to the State. The public service pension reduction, PSPR, is targeted at pensions funded by the public purse but although almost two-thirds of this gentleman's pension is not funded by the public purse, it is all subject to the reduction. He made prudent provision for his old age in good faith by purchasing these added years of service. He could have kept his pension pot or cashed it in. He could have spent it foolishly or could have put it in a bank and saved it and now be earning interest from it. However, he did what was advised by the NTMA when he went to work for that agency. At present, €22,929 is being deducted from his pension and is being paid to the State but only €4,400 of that reduction is attributable to the NTMA or public service portion of his pension. In short, €18,524 is being deducted from the privately-funded portion of his pension and this appears to me to be an egregious injustice.

I understand that section 6 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009 gave discretion to the Minister to write this kind of unintended consequence, and I assume it is an unintended consequence. I ask the Minister to utilise his discretion in this matter to ensure this situation is ended.

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Brendan Howlin)

I thank Deputy Mitchell for raising the matter. It is a matter which was the subject of a recent parliamentary question and I set out in my reply to that question the position regarding the public service pension reduction, PSPR.

Before addressing in detail the particular point raised by Deputy Mitchell, it is important to set out the context in which these measures are introduced. As is clear to all citizens, there is a very serious crisis in the economy and a very serious deterioration in revenues into the State. Ireland is availing of financial assistance programmes provided by the EU-IMF and has undertaken to meet spending targets set out in that regard.

In introducing the PSPR from 1 January 2011, the then Government effectively decided, in the context of the serious national budgetary position, that retired public service pensioners should make a contribution to the overall required fiscal adjustment. This decision was taken having regard to the gap between the burden being borne by those currently in public service employment, where the pension related deduction, PRD, and the direct pay reduction were having an impact, and their retired counterparts.

The current Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill proposes limited further reductions to high value public service pensions. That Bill is to be discussed later today. It is one of a number of measures taken or proposed by the Government as part of our plans to restore stability to the public finances. None of these measures were or are being adopted lightly but are considered necessary in view of the wide gap that has emerged between our income as a State and our expenditure, and our commitment to restore order to the public finances by reducing the general Government deficit to under 3% of GDP by 2015.

Any reduction in pension payments is a serious step. However, the grave condition of the public finances and the threat to Ireland's economic well-being provide the context for such an exceptional measure. I would note that the first €12,000 of anybody's pension is exempt from the reduction and that the bands and rates of the reduction are progressively structured so that persons on lower pensions are proportionately less affected than those on higher pensions.

I would add that as recently as yesterday, I met representatives of the Alliance of Retired Public Servants to hear at first hand their concerns about the impact of pension reductions on the lives of public service pensioners. As I indicated to them, I would genuinely wish economic circumstances were otherwise but the reality is the Government must continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the economic survival of the State, and this inevitably impacts across society.

I also informed the alliance representatives that it is my intention, as a matter of priority, to move towards reducing the burden of the public service pension reduction, with the initial focus on people in receipt of low pensions, at the earliest date economic progress permits. I am very aware of how critical this matter is for pensioners and I intend to keep this matter under review to see when we can begin to take steps to reduce the burden on public service pensioners in particular.

On the particular question of whether identified portions or specific elements of public service pensions could be exempt from the PSPR, the long-standing norm in public service pension schemes is that service which is purchased or transferred-in is treated in the same way as ordinary accrued service for the purposes of calculating pension benefits initially and on an ongoing basis. This parity of treatment also applies in respect of the exposure of pensions to the public service pension reduction. Since its introduction on 1 January 2011, the PSPR has applied to affected public service pensions in an across-the-board fashion, with no distinction being made in respect of any part of a pension which derives from purchased or transferred service, and I do not have plans to change this arrangement.

Deputy Olivia Mitchell

I thank the Minister for coming into the House to respond to this matter. I am disappointed with the response. Nobody understands the situation facing the country more than me, and I fully appreciate the need for financial emergency measures, but given that they are extraordinary powers, they must be used judiciously and justly. The proportion of the pension from the fund, which was privately accumulated, is so large relative to the portion of pension that comes from the State contributions, it makes this a special case. I may not be explaining it properly but the pension pot that was transferred to the fund was actuarially determined to ensure there was no cost to the National Treasury Management Agency for that portion of pension that would later accrue. In other words, there is no cost to the State or no reduction in terms of what is due to the State. I accept that the portion of pension that comes from the contributions - the NTMA - is fair game but the privately funded part, which was actuarially determined to ensure there was no additional cost to the State, should not be included. This case will probably end up in the courts but the Minister might examine cases like this one where the majority of the fund comes from private sources.

Deputy Brendan Howlin

I fully appreciate the case being made by Deputy Mitchell, and it is a fair and reasonable one, but it is very difficult to disaggregate pensions into the proportion that is transferred-in. As she is aware, because of the vulnerability of many private pensions, for example, in academia, most of them have now been transferred into the State and most of them are in deficit. Should somebody have exempt a portion of their pension which they happened to have paid in before it was subsumed into the State pension, it would be extraordinarily difficult. We cannot have individual cases. We have to have a general application of a rule such as this one. While I am mindful of what the Deputy has said, the general provision that has gone on always is that where the State takes on the payment of a pension, it is treated as if it was accrued through State contributions, regardless of what was brought into the equation.

I will reflect further on what the Deputy has said. As she will know, there is provision in section 6 of the existing legislation for individual anomalies to be addressed, and that provision has been replicated in the provisions I will bring before the House later this evening, which, if an anomalous situation arises, will allow me, as Minister, to make an order and an exemption. That is an important provision to have. I will reflect further on what the Deputy has said but I am mindful of the general application of rules like this in that it is very difficult to establish precedents that do not have wide application subsequently.

Cost of School Textbooks

Deputy Eamonn Maloney

The Minister and I, and everyone else in this House, is aware of the expensive nature of education in terms of school buildings, salaries, pensions etc. Primary and secondary education in particular is an expensive and extensive cost to the State, when one considers pay, pensions, school buildings etc., but I want to focus on a different aspect, that is, the cost to parents whose children attend both primary and secondary schools.

Regarding the cost of schoolbooks, I have long held the view that if the State and the Department of Education and Skills are to provide the buildings for schools and pay the salaries of those who teach in them why can they not do as has been done in other jurisdictions, namely, take responsibility for a tendering process for books? The most expensive item for a child going to primary or secondary school is the schoolbooks. They are particularly expensive in this jurisdiction vis-à-vis some of our European neighbours.

For instance, for children attending primary school in September, the individual starting cost is €350. That is probably not a lot of money for the upper class or those who are comfortably off, but for working class families, particularly with more than one child, it is an expensive outlay, and the outlay for secondary schools is almost twice that at around €770, according to the survey carried out by Barnardos last year.

This should not be franchised out to a collection of private companies that have some sort of a cartel going on the cost of these books. When we delve a little deeper to find out how much money is involved, It is not possible because the companies are not limited by guarantee. No Member of the Dáil or member of the public knows how much money these companies are making and I contend they are making an absolute fortune. We should be on the side of the parents and children and face down the book publishers. Thanks to the article by Nicola Byrne in the Irish Mail on Sunday, we know that not only are we dealing with Irish companies that do not produce any accounts but that these companies are farming out the printing of the books to outside of Europe, having them printed at rock bottom prices. That is not, however, reflected in the price parents must pay when they send their children to school in September. The Department of Education and Skills should take the side of the parents and children and exercise some control over this.

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills (Deputy Ciarán Cannon)

I thank Deputy Maloney for raising this issue and I welcome the opportunity to clarify the position on the matter raised.

The Minister and I are very conscious that the cost of textbooks is a considerable burden on families. Textbooks are a very important way in which students can be supported in their learning and the range and quality of textbooks has increased in recent years.

Since taking up office, the Minister has attempted to take steps to reduce the burden on families. The Minister has met with members of the Irish Educational Publishers' Association and impressed on them the need to limit the cost of textbooks and to avoid placing schools and families in a position where textbooks are altered unnecessarily. The association responded positively to the Minister's approaches and agreed a voluntary code of practice among members. The code commits the publishers to limit the publication of new editions and to maintaining editions of books in print unchanged for at least six years. The publishers have also given assurances that they will sell textbooks to schools at substantial discounts so that schools can purchase textbooks in bulk to stock textbook rental schemes. All these developments are welcome.

The Minister launched guidelines for developing textbook rental schemes in schools last January. The guidelines provide practical advice to schools on how rental schemes can be established and operated. The aim of the guidelines is to help as many schools as possible to start book rental programmes. The publication of the guidelines follows a survey of schools by the Department last year. This had a 99% response rate at primary level, and showed that 76% of primary schools operate a book rental scheme. At second level, the response rate was lower, at 44%. Of those who responded, 88% of those in the VEC sector and 73% of those in the community and comprehensive sector operated book rental schemes. These results show that we have a good foundation to build on across the country.

I hope that schools that are not yet operating book rental schemes will be encouraged to use the guidelines to introduce them. Schools which already have rental schemes can save parents up to 80% of the cost of buying new books. A special guide for parents has also been published to inform them of how the schemes operate and how parents can help schools to establish and run them. The Minister has been very clear in his support for book rental schemes.

The Minister has protected the budget for school book grants at €15 million over the past two years, despite economic pressures. He has consulted widely on the guidelines including working closely with the National Parents' Council at primary and post-primary levels, the Society of St Vincent De Paul and Barnardos to discuss ways of reducing the costs for parents.

Deputy Eamonn Maloney

I fully acknowledge the progress that has been made, especially with book rental schemes, and I compliment the Minister and the Department for that. The feedback from schools in my area on this is very positive.

The discussion with the publishers should be reviewed, however, because school books in Ireland are too expensive. We should not allow a cartel to control school books, particularly when the Department has ring-fenced that amount of money. It could be a smaller amount if the books were not so expensive and the remainder could be used in other areas rather than giving it to private publishers.

Every year when the junior and leaving certificates are completed, the examination papers become available without any copyright. All subjects at both levels are free to be cogged and that is what these companies do. As there is no copyright, the examination papers are on sale in a nearby bookshop for between €6 and €8, after they have been paid for by the taxpayer. These private companies have been selling these year after year. We give them the examination papers, which were paid for by the taxpayer, for free and they reprint them in India or Bangladesh, earning them €3 million in the last year. These companies should not have free access to any documents paid for by the taxpayer.

Deputy Ciarán Cannon

I have outlined the steps the Minister has taken to reduce the burden on families imposed by the costs of textbooks. There are two key elements to the plan to reduce costs: to encourage schools to take up the book rental schemes and to make parents aware of how to play a part in establishing such schemes in their own schools, and to secure the agreement of the Irish Educational Publishers' Association to sign up to the voluntary code of practice. The Minister has been forthright in saying he fully intends to see the association implement that code of practice and if it does not, the currently voluntary nature of the code of practice may become more mandatory.

I do not know if it is possible to retain copyright after putting an examination paper into the public domain. It would be an interesting idea and I will have a look at it. If we look at the options available to schools and boards of management, once the examination papers are in the public domain, there is nothing to prevent the students from photocopying them and binding them for future use. There is no obligation upon parents to go into a shop and buy a book like that. With some ingenuity such an expense could be avoided by schools in the future.

Road Network

Deputy Brian Stanley

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing this important question. The bypass of the N80 on the eastern and western sides of the town of Portlaoise would mean that traffic, of which there is a high volume on this route from the south east, across the midlands and to the west, would not have to pass through the town of Portlaoise as it does at present. It is very important for Portlaoise, for County Laois and the midlands, but also for the west. The N80 connects the west with important ports to the east such as Waterford and Rosslare. There are already 6 km of this route in place. The 6 km, which have been constructed by Laois County Council, amount to nine tenths of it. The remaining section of which I speak is almost 0.6 km. Nine tenths of the infrastructure is in place and the last one tenth is needed.

To date, it has cost the local authority in excess of €13 million. Often it is asked what development levies are used for; in County Laois, in the main, they have been used well. Laois County Council has used them to get this vital piece of infrastructure in place. The local authority has delivered magnificently.

From a local point of view, it is an important piece of infrastructure for Portlaoise town. There are two low rail bridges in the town and while safety measures and warning measures have been put in place, there is still the occasional bridge-strike when high lorries hit them. It is important to get those high lorries away from the town completely. High lorries are going through James Fintan Lalor Avenue, up through the middle of a shopping area where there are pedestrian crossings and other pedestrian facilities, and that needs to change.

Also, in September next three new schools will open on a campus beside the orbital route and there will be traffic chaos. The Gaelscoil, the local Church of Ireland school and the Educate Together school will open there in September. In the following September, hopefully, the three schools for the parish, which will be amalgamated at Aghnaharna-Summerhill, will also open and we need this infrastructure to move traffic around the town. It is vital. The new schools opening in that area along with the existing facilities will put considerable pressure on the roads in the town, including the Timahoe Road, the Abbeyleix Road, the Stradbally road and the Dublin Road.

From a national point of view, as I stated earlier, it is important to connect ports such as Rosslare with the midlands and the west. If we are to improve the economy and competitiveness, we must improve regional connectivity.

The northern orbital route which was the grand plan for Portlaoise - not to go to the east and to the west of the town but to build a completely new northern orbital - is not feasible because it is dependent on development levies from housing construction. That will not now happen. One would be looking at a cost of up to €30 million to construct it. The local representatives and local officials are realistic about this, and as a local Deputy I am realistic about it. We are not banging down anyone's door looking for funding to construct a new orbital route.

As I stated, the local authority has stepped up to the plate here. The councillors, the local authority staff and the county manager have delivered magnificently. They have put nine tenths of this infrastructure in place.

Acting Chairman (Deputy Joe O'Reilly)

Deputy Stanley will have time for a supplementary point.

Deputy Brian Stanley

It is in the national spatial strategy and the regional planning guidelines.

Deputy Ciarán Cannon

I am taking this Topical Issues matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities own resources and are supplemented by State road grants.

There have been large reductions in roads expenditure over the past number of years and there will be further reductions in the next number of years. In contrast with the figure for 2007, for example, when grants of €607 million were made available towards regional and local roads, in 2013 these grants have fallen to €350 million or almost half. Given the current financial position, the main focus must be on the maintenance and repair of the roads in which we have already heavily invested and this will remain the position in the coming years.

In this regard, it should be noted that the initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority. In July of last year, local authorities were invited to submit applications for consideration for funding in 2013 under the specific improvement grants scheme. Laois County Council applied for funding for 11 projects under this grant category but the Portlaoise southern circular road was not among the projects selected for funding in 2013.

The specific improvement grants scheme is being suspended from 2014 onward in order to maximise the funding available for repair and strengthening work. In lieu of the specific improvement grant programme, applications will be sought in mid-2013 for minor bridge repair works, which is a subset of the current specific grant programme, for 2014. This is in line with focusing funding on road and bridge maintenance and strengthening.

The reality of the funding position means that in all areas of activity priorities must be set. Given the current financial position, it has been necessary to reduce the grant allocations for major new road schemes and for major realignment schemes. The main focus must be on the maintenance and repair of roads and this will remain the position in the coming years. The small amount of funding available for major schemes will focus on projects already under construction or to which the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is already committed.

It is appreciated that many local authorities are trying to implement savings, but it is also important to re-iterate that the role of Exchequer grants for regional and local roads is to supplement local authorities such as Laois County Council in their spending in this area. The reality is that the available funds do not match the amount of work required. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and local authorities are working closely to develop new more efficient ways of delivering the best outputs possible with the funding available to them. Given the likely continued squeeze on Exchequer funding, this concentration on efficiency is essential to achieve the best outturns for the limited funding available.

Deputy Brian Stanley

I recognise that funding for these projects has fallen from over €600 million to €350 million in the current year. Leaving that aside, the point I would make to the Minister of State is that during the boom years Laois County Council did not come looking for funding for this orbital route from central Government. It used local resources and used them well.

I take on board the Minister of State's point that the priority is to maintain what is there. In the context of Portlaoise, and if the Department is to maintain what is there, significant damage is being done to the Timahoe Road, the Stradbally Road, the Abbeyleix Road and other roads in the town because this 600 m of road is not in place. If this piece of infrastructure was in place, it would take a considerable burden of traffic off the other roads.

I am informed that the total cost would come to a maximum of €4.8 million. Laois County Council has acquired one of the parcels of land. It has already started that process in that the CPO has been approved for all lands concerned. The remaining section, of almost 600 m, is the last piece of vital infrastructure. It is the last piece of the jigsaw and would complete the N80 bypass, from the south east, right up across the midlands and into the west. I am urging the Government in this regard.

There was some talk in recent days - about which the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, who is seated beside the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, may know more - of some kind of stimulus package. I recognise the Government must spend money carefully and I would not want to see money thrown around, but this would represent value for money. I am reliably informed that Laois County Council would not come looking for the full €4.8 million from the Government. It would play its part and pull its weight by making an input locally. If the Government is considering a list of capital projects, I ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, who is beside the Minister of State, to ensure this vital piece of infrastructure is included.

It is good that the cities were connected by motorways. It was long overdue. We must connect the regions by national secondary routes and we are a long way behind on it although that was the intention. If the Minister recalls, during the 2000s it was intended to sort out the cities first and put motorways in place. That is done. The Department must start moving to connect the ports to the regions by way of national secondary routes such as the N80.

Deputy Ciarán Cannon

I repeat that the grants that were available towards regional and local roads in 2007 of just over €600 million have been reduced to €350 million. In times of severe economic challenge, one must prioritise what one feels is the best use of those scarce resources.

The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, and I would argue that the best use at this point in time is to maintain to an acceptable level the very long network of roads we have throughout this country. I recall reading that we may have the most kilometres of road per capita in the whole of Europe. That places a significant burden both on local authorities and the Exchequer to maintain the extensive network.

This is the decision taken at this point, although I am hopeful that as we emerge from our economic difficulties, we will once again be able to fund projects such as this. It would be equally as important for Laois County Council to work as best it can with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to determine which infrastructural improvements would be a priority, and as the Deputy suggests, perhaps this road could be towards the top of those priorities. When the decision ultimately comes as to what will be funded in future, the local authority will have a major role to play in determining the priorities for its functional area.

Teachers' Remuneration

Deputy Seamus Kirk

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this most important issue, the need for the Government to address the position of 17 teachers employed by the International School of Martyrs, ISM, in Tripoli, Libya. The Government has failed to raise the plight of these 17 teachers from Ireland who are owed salaries totalling up to €200,000 by the ISM. These teachers have recently criticised the Irish Government for continuing to facilitate the leaving certificate curriculum at the school despite the non-payment of their wages.

The Tripoli-based International School of the Martyrs has offered the Irish syllabus and exam system since the mid-1990s. It is the only school outside Ireland to offer the leaving certificate curriculum and exams, and two of Colonel Gadaffi's grandchildren once studied at the school. The Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are currently liaising with the Maltese authorities to facilitate the exams. Many of the school's expatriate staff, including the 17 teachers from Ireland, fled Libya when the uprising against Colonel Gadaffi began in February 2011. The co-educational school is now operating fully again, with 700 students enrolled, and more than 60 are registered to sit the leaving certificate this summer.

In an e-mail sent on 25 April, Ms Martina Mannion of the Irish State Examinations Commission, SEC, told the school dean, Moftah Messei, and its principal, Ms Donna McPhee, that the issue of the outstanding salaries was "an urgent matter" which the commission wished to see resolved. The school has not responded to the e-mail. The school claims that Libyan restrictions on overseas money transfers introduced following the 2011 revolution are the cause of the non-payment of salaries to the Irish teachers. Nevertheless, it appears the school had continued to pay the Department of Education and Skills the relevant fees to allow its students to sit the leaving certificate exams. It was claimed by teachers at the school that they had previously been paid through a Maltese bank account. The State Examinations Commission states it has no role in contractual issues between schools and their employees. It has been indicated that the SEC has been informed by some former teachers in the ISM that there are outstanding contractual issues between their employers and themselves, and in order to be helpful to these former employees of the school, the SEC has brought the concerns to the attention of the school authorities.

The school was established in the late 1950s to educate expatriate children whose parents worked in the oil sector and the diplomatic community. It was called the oil companies school and it is still known as that by many people in Tripoli. I urge the Minister to consider this most important issue, as 17 teachers - many of them young and out of training school - have loaned their expertise and training know-how to the school in Tripoli. Not everybody would relish the challenge of teaching there but they did. Unfortunately, they have yet to be paid for a period in which they were employed, so I urge the Minister to explore the possibility of some diplomatic initiative being taken on the matter. The possibility of using diplomatic channels in this way should be explored.

Deputy Brendan Howlin

I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, who the House will appreciate is in Brussels today. I thank Deputy Kirk for raising this issue, which is I know of great concern to the individuals involved and their families.

I understand that the teachers' dispute with the International School of the Martyrs, ISM, in Tripoli has been ongoing for some two years now. At issue is a sum of €142,000 in unpaid salaries owed to 17 Irish nationals who were employed as teachers by the ISM in Tripoli, Libya. Deputies will, of course, be aware that the ISM is the only educational institution outside of Ireland which offers the leaving certificate to its students, as Deputy Kirk correctly stated. The teachers in question were employed directly by the ISM to teach the leaving certificate. The unpaid salaries date back to the early months of 2011 when, due to the popular uprising and large-scale conflict which erupted in Libya at that time, the individuals concerned were either required to leave Libya or were unable to return there to complete their contracts for reasons of personal security.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was only made aware of this issue of unpaid salaries in early May. Officials in the Department have discussed the matter with relevant officials in both the Department of Education and Skills and the State Examinations Commission. I understand that the State Examinations Commission has already intervened directly with ISM some weeks ago requesting that the issue be resolved and that any sums outstanding to the teachers concerned be paid immediately and in full. Ongoing contact at official level on the issue is being maintained between the two bodies. It is obviously for the Department of Education and Skills and for the State Examinations Commission to set out their own position on this matter. From the perspective of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, however, the sole concern and reason for involvement has been to offer any assistance to help achieve a resolution to this contractual dispute between 17 Irish nationals and the privately owned and operated International School of the Martyrs in Tripoli.

At the Tánaiste's direction, the Irish Embassy in Rome, which is also accredited to Libya, has now made direct representations to both the ISM and to the Libyan Government on this matter. We have formally requested the assistance of the Libyan Foreign Ministry to ensure the outstanding contractual obligations and money owed to the Irish teachers by the ISM are fully met and paid. Officials in the embassy in Rome have also spoken with the principal of the ISM and urged that this matter be resolved as speedily as possible and the outstanding moneys paid. The ISM, for its part, has suggested that there are technical difficulties which prevent it at present from transferring the amounts owed and paying the teachers. I understand that these difficulties relate to the much more stringent controls on large financial transfers which now apply in Libya since the fall of the Gadaffi regime.

The Tánaiste and the Government remain anxious that this issue be resolved as soon as possible and that the outstanding salaries be paid. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the embassy in Rome will continue its efforts to secure the assistance of the Libyan authorities and of the ISM in resolving this matter. Libya is a country with which Ireland has traditionally enjoyed excellent bilateral relations. There are strong historical and cultural links between the two countries and many Libyans have chosen to make Ireland their home and have made an important contribution to Irish society. The Government remains strongly committed to developing our bilateral relations even further and to promoting greater co-operation in areas of mutual interest. It is important to recall this context in considering this particular issue and the current efforts to resolve it.

Deputy Seamus Kirk

I thank the Minister, Deputy Howlin, for the comprehensive response. I agree that we enjoy strong cultural ties and bilateral relations with Libya, and I hope they will be an invaluable conduit in bringing about a resolution to the matter. I ask the Minister to request his colleague, the Tánaiste, to explore the possibility of establishing a liaison in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade who would be available to a representative or some of the teachers involved. At least in those circumstances they could be kept up to date on the position.

Part of the difficulty with all of this is the teachers not knowing what the position is. If the Department of Foreign Affairs is in a position to take some responsibility, or at least to provide up-to-date information, it would be much appreciated.

Deputy Brendan Howlin

I will certainly pass on the Deputy's request to the Tánaiste who I know has a personal interest in the matter. For clarity, I should tell the Deputy and the House the leaving certificate examination will go ahead. For security reasons, it will be held once again in a centre in Malta. I know Deputies will recognise it would be completely unjust to the students involved, who are not at fault in any way in this matter, to suggest they should not be allowed to sit the exam for which they have been studying for so long. I will fully brief the Tánaiste on the matter raised by Deputy Kirk.