Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Osborne. I like to think we get around. I was in Ardoyne and Randalstown only a few weeks ago. We like to get around, as a committee, to see exactly what is happening. On Thursday, 3 December 2015, we will go to Strangford Integrated College in Newtownards, Hazelwood Integrated Primary School in Newtownabbey, and also to Belfast. We believe that youth unemployment is a huge issue. I come from Boyle in Roscommon in the west of Ireland. When I was growing up in a small town of 3,000, there was a boys' national school, a girls' national school, a boys' secondary school, a girls' secondary school, and a Church of Ireland primary school. Church of Ireland people used to go to the grammar school in Sligo or maybe King's Hospital and the well off used to go to the Diocesan colleges of St Nathy's in Ballaghaderreen, Summerhill or St Mel's in Longford. At the time, most young men spent three years in sixth class, or seventh class as we called it, or they went to England. I am getting out of politics now and I have been asked what I will do. I have said that I will go back to college but I realised that I have never been in college.

Our challenges pale into insignificance when compared with the challenges in Northern Ireland. We have to be positive because we are in a much better position than we were 20 or 30 years ago. We could have a negative outlook but nobody owes us a living. If the economy is going well, there should be a huge emphasis on trying to get further funding. That is our job. If our economy is going quite well then the Department of Foreign Affairs should be contacted to ensure that part of the dividend goes towards peace building and projects like this.

It is a privilege to have the witnesses here. The work they have done is very valuable. I thank them and the members of the committee for spending so much time here. If there is any way that this committee can be helpful, we will visit the witnesses and I look forward to working with all of them.