On budget day, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, stated that education is the engine of economic growth, and I agree. When it comes to Ireland's future stability and prosperity, our education system is our single greatest asset. The Minister went on to state that this Government over the past five years has supported education but, of course, that is not the reality. The Government has effectively abolished the career guidance counsellor role and it has increased class sizes. It has imposed wide-ranging cuts to resource teachers. Higher education has seen cuts of one third and capital investment in higher education has been cut by over three quarters. What is the result of this support from Labour-Fine Gael?

Only five days ago, a mother chained herself to the gates of the Department of Education and Skills protesting at the closure of her son's autism unit. In 2011, when the Taoiseach came into power, Ireland had two universities in the top 100 ranked globally. Today, we do not have one in the top 150 ranking globally. One university president described what this Government has done to the university sector as "asset stripping", and the same can be said for what has happened to the primary and secondary education systems.

Then came the budget last week. Up until now, Labour-Fine Gael has been following a Fianna Fáil troika programme but last week's budget was the Government's opportunity to set a vision for Ireland for the future. When it came to education, big claims were made in the form of 2,200 new teachers and smaller class sizes, but when one follows the money none of that stacks up. In last week's budget, of the €1.5 billion available to the Government, it invested €24 million in the entire education sector, that is, less than 2% of the budget available and less than one fifth of 1% of the education budget.

How much is the capital programme?

This Government, in last week's budget-----

A question, please.

-----did not put a single euro into higher education. By contrast, the Government allocated €561 million to the universal social charge. My question is this: when the Republic's future is dependent on us having some of the best educated school leavers and college graduates, and when the Government acknowledges that education is the engine of economic growth, why did it invest 25 times less in the entire education system than it did in one tax cut?

I disagree with Deputy Donnelly. The vision for Ireland has been set out not only this year, but for quite some time. He will appreciate the extraordinary economic mess that this Government inherited.

I have just left CHQ on the docks where a company, Pivotal, is investing €100 million in the creation of jobs, both here in Dublin and in Cork. The company's central point was that the reason for it choosing Ireland to invest an extra €100 million was not based on the question of the 12.5% corporate tax rate but on talent. It was based on talent coming through an educational system that, despite all the challenges, has measured up to the range and the kind of quality that companies look for, be they in the financial services, pharmaceutical or ICT sectors. Their words are far more powerful than those of the politicians because they are the ones who make the decisions to invest in this country. They find it a place to be, given the range of our talent pool.

Although there were recessionary times in education, the moratorium has been lifted and the Minister for Education and Skills will, in the coming weeks, announce the capital programme for the building of primary, secondary and third level education institutes. I do not share the Deputy's view of a depression in the education system.

Hear, hear.

I do not know where the Taoiseach is living.

It is a challenge. The Deputy mentioned the allocation of one fifth of the budget. The other four fifths of the budget goes to look after the teachers and those who provide education for our children and young people. The Deputy knows the extent of information available over the Internet. The job of teaching and the qualities of teachers have had to change. They are now directors, counsellors and guides. They must consider how to identify the flair in young people and how to put them in the direction of where the challenge is going to be met and where they can have a career and ambition. I do not share the Deputy’s disillusion.

The other day, I was in a school with 28 nationalities and a €6 million extension. The Deputy should hear those young people talking about living in this country, their ambitions to have a career here and what they want to do. Best of all was that the 28 nationalities, with their music, dress and traditions, were all talking about Ireland. Two of the most animated talks were those shared between the young people from Iran and the United States. I do not share the Deputy’s view at all. There are challenges and we would like to have more to invest. We cannot have it until we have an engine to drive it. At last, the Government, working with the people, has brought our country to a different spot.

Where is the interest in Castlebar?

By the time we reach 2017, with the deficit eliminated, the country will have far more to resource such social challenges. The criteria set for top global universities change all the time. The Deputy should go to the universities and talk to the young people, technologists and institutes. They are meeting these challenges every day. I do not share the Deputy’s disillusion.

Hear, hear.

While the Taoiseach may not share my disillusion, the numbers do not lie. I talk to teachers. I have three young children. I talk to lecturers, parents and students. It is great that the Taoiseach met a multinational class. It is fantastic. However, did the Taoiseach tell them the Government cares about them so much that it has invested practically nothing in their education out of the €1.5 billion?

That is not true. It is nonsense.

Would the Taoiseach tell them the Government has increased the education budget by less than one fifth of 1%? Go and talk to the lecturers in our universities about their growing class sizes. Talk to the woman who chained herself to the gates of the Department of Education and Skills.

She was waiting for the sheriff.

The numbers do not lie. The Taoiseach talks about innovation and entrepreneurship.

A question, please.

The Taoiseach let the Web Summit go to Portugal and has invested nothing extra in education.

More rubbish.

The Social Democrats proposed a budget using exactly the same fiscal space.

Could you put your question, please?

Rather than investing €24 million, we were able to propose a €200 million investment. That is investment in education, our children and higher education. I will ask the Taoiseach again, given that he ignored the question.

Do not ignore the Chair.

The Taoiseach had a choice. Although he said the resources were not available, €1.5 billion was available.

I ask the Deputy again not to ignore the Chair. Could you put your question?

Of the available resources of €1.5 billion, why did the Taoiseach allocate 25 times more out of the available resources to a tax cut aimed at the election than he invested in the entire education system?

It is Government policy. Governments make decisions. The universal social charge was a brutal instrument introduced by a Fianna Fáil Government. We have agreed that, if re-elected, we will abolish it over the coming four or five years.

Like universal health insurance five years ago.

Last year, when the Government made a decision to reduce the tax burden on people, the spend began to increase out through the community. We broadened the tax base by having property charges and water contributions. The more people are working, the less tax they pay and the greater the opportunity to deal with the social challenges we have. The figures do not lie. This is why interest rates have fallen from 15% to less than 2%. This is why unemployment has decreased from 15.2% to 9.4%.

What about forced emigration?

This is why we have beaten the deficit targets every year since the Government was elected and our national debt is approaching European norms and will continue to do so in the time ahead. This is why more than 125,000 new jobs have been created. This is why the Government made its decision. The tax level was too high. It is the first time since 2009 that the tax burden is less than 50%. If the people want a continuation of this, they can vote for it in due course.

I discussed the Web Summit. The organisers made their choice. It was a commercial decision. We are disappointed and we hope they return. The Deputy mentioned growing class sizes. It is why the Government decided to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio at both primary and secondary level. The Minister will announce a capital programme to abolish prefabs and construct new buildings in order that teachers can do their best to meet the demands of so many firms and opportunities that lie ahead.

Hear, hear.