asked the Minister for Education her views on the conclusion of a paper (details supplied) that the total cost to Ireland of the third level education of graduates and nurses who emigrated in 1986 was £86.8 million; if she accepts the basis of calculation used for arriving at the figure; if not, the reason she disagrees with it; and her views on proposals in the paper for (a) transferring responsibility for third level education to the European Community (b) the change in language teaching policy in second level schools and (c) the establishment of an active manpower agency to seek out opportunities for graduates in the EC.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Paper on Education Policy.
12.
The paper to which the Deputy refers——
The Minister has not got a notion.
(Interruptions.)
I have a great notion, Deputy Farrelly.
(Interruptions.)
Please Deputies.
The paper to which the Deputy refers does not include sufficient data on the methodology used to establish the cost of educating the graduates concerned. In addition I have no responsibility for the training of nurses so I am not in a position to comment one way or another on the figure of £40 million of the £86.8 million, which is the nurses input.
With regard to the proposal to transfer responsibility for third level education to the European Community, this possibility is not open to us at present as education per se is not covered in the Treaties of the European Communities.
It should be.
A recent decision by the European Court of Justice, however, may lead to all third level education being defined as "vocational training" in which case funding could become available. However, under Community law such funding would have to be made available on a communitywide basis. There is no provision whereby the funding of a programme may be undertaken in any one member state without similar funding being made available in all member states. Also, such a proposal would have to emanate from the Commission of the European Communities. It is not open to member states to make such proposals.
Much is being done in our schools to improve language teaching. For details I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 66 of 11 February 1988.
The establishment of a manpower agency would be a matter for the Minister for Labour and in this connection I would refer the Deputy to the reply he gave to Question No. 103 of 11 February 1988 in this matter.
Is it the case that the study in question was indirectly financed by the Minister's Department in that it was conducted by a person who was working for the past while with the Department? Did the Minister make any inquiries before answering this question as to the methodology used in arriving at the figure in the question? Would the Minister favour as a general principle the idea of Community responsibility in the matter of third level education? Accepting that legally the Irish Government do not have the ability to make a proposal to the Council of Ministers but that the Irish Government have the freedom to make a proposal to the Commission who can make a proposal to the Council of Ministers, would the Minister indicate if she would be prepared to make such a proposal that the Community should take some measure of responsibility in the matter of third level education as an extension of the idea of a common labour market?
I found the Deputy's question very interesting. The paper to which the Deputy referred "Export or Die" was read at a conference organised by the commerce and economic society in University College Cork in Jury's Hotel on 20 January by Patrick Diggins, a director of the teachers' centre in Drumcondra in Dublin. Later I met with Mr. Diggins informally at a function and I had an interesting conversion with him with regard to his paper. The facts he draws upon are very interesting. In some instances I would raise arguments about where he has carried through some of his facts, in particular the ones to do with languages.
As to whether this Government should make submissions to the Commission who, in turn, would relay them to the Council of Ministers, that is worth pursuing. The recent court judgment allowing the freedom for all third level education to be seen under the aegis of vocational education has very exciting possibilities for the funding of third level education here. The general idea of Mr. Diggins's lecture to the Cork commerce and economic society was to highlight many issues. In doing that he performed a very worthwhile function and the later court developments now appear to be opening up very exciting possibilities.
Will the Minister go so far as to say she will make such a proposal.
I will certainly give it consideration. I have read this lecture very thoroughly. I have studied the Deputy's question and various points it has raised. I will certainly give it very deep consideration.