Mr. Eoin Carroll:

When I was in secondary school, and we are trying to second guess when many of the members were in secondary school, for the most part, a person did not get access to supplementary educational support. They did not have the learning support staff, learning assistants or special needs assistants that now exist.

Our understanding now is that children require this. What we are saying is that young people, or all people, in detention have previously been failed by the education system. Therefore, based on their educational needs, they have a right to education and it is legitimate to say there should be educational provision beyond equivalence. If one is a pragmatist, this makes sense. If we can attempt to address within the prison system the educational, work and training needs of those with literacy and numeracy issues and provide them with an opportunity when they leave prison, does it not make sense to do so?