Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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I agree with Ms Longmuir. The role of the Institute of Physics as convenor in that regard is interesting because it brings both elements. The consortium model puts employers in the driving seat, which is not always 100% a positive thing but there are a lot of positive elements to it. The potential for expansion is there. I guess that we have not reached the peak or anywhere near it in terms of medtech. I am sure there is scope there and, as Ms Longmuir said, in emerging technologies as well.

To return briefly - I will keep an eye on the time - to point No. 4 on page 2, the Institute of Physics described breaking down stereotypes. Does that mean going all the way back to primary school? Is that where it starts? My sister is the principal of a very large DEIS school. They focus on bringing people in to teach the kids that these jobs are available. There is a big focus on apprenticeships, even at that age, and the "can't see, can't be" concept of seeing people from their community to see what can be done. Does Ms Longmuir see that starting at primary level? If so, other than showing them someone who is a physicist or working in the physics area and then they can go off and be them, can the curriculum be designed, even for very young children, to encapsulate that kind of learning and put them on that pathway before they even realise they are going on that path?