Ms Bríd O'Brien:

At that time, with children starting school at five years and then doing the transition year, people could still be at school at 18 years and 19 years. That was the original thinking. As the crisis deepened and other considerations entered the mix, the age limit was raised further. I think it has sent a very negative message to young people.

What is interesting is that when one looks at the emigration figures, it will be seen that twice as many people who had a job emigrated. The quality of a job is a critical issue, particularly for young people. Many young people felt that some of the work that was on offer would not allow them to enjoy either the type of career they had hoped for-----