Michael Conaghan (Dublin South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the guests. It struck me when I was listening to them that the provision of resources is not the only thing that is inhibiting participation. I appreciate that the provision of resources is a very big factor in the overall situation, but I think it is a bit more complex than that. I suggest that other factors, such as personal inclinations and dispositions, are inhibiting participation as well. More than the provision of resources is required to tackle and overcome the hidden set of barriers that is sometimes deeply embedded in one's own outlook and experience. The record of the education and training boards, which were founded on the principle of outreach, shows that they cannot really be faulted in terms of how they are reaching out and providing all sorts of relevant types of education and training in areas such as personal development and preparation for work, careers and all sorts of things. Someone's personal disposition can also be an inhibiting factor.