Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a very important point because the statistics Ms Sheehan cited show there is an element of success in further training and education in the vocational system. For this reason, we should prioritise and focus on where we can achieve maximum success. We should have an action plan for higher education. We need community modules. The ETB system is in every community in the country and the ETB representative can speak for himself. I served on a vocational board for many years. ETBs are in every community and they are standing by to assist, if given the resources to do so. For this reason, I cannot understand why we do not have specific targeted resources for ETBs to assist in Traveller education. Going back to the olden days when we had the group certificate, people who did not want to do the leaving certificate had a step so they could transfer to an apprenticeship or training. We see the great work being done by the Department on apprenticeships in so many areas. We do not have just the traditional craft apprenticeships. The answers are here in front of us. We just need joined-up thinking from the Department to work with the organisations and just do it. The network is there. The skilled people in the ETBs are there. The Traveller community is struggling but we have the ETBs on our doorstep and we are not utilising them. We need an action plan in this area before we start to speak about all of the other complexities.