Mr. Seán Ashe:

The service we are giving to our schools is second to none. I think it has improved. The main focus is on the learner, whether they are primary, post-primary or adult. Going through Kildare and Wicklow ETB's operations, one will find very positive observations on the way the learner is engaged with, the supports we give the learners and the supports we give our staff so that they can support the learners. That is what it is all about. I emphasise the efforts that have gone in at school level in particular. Our schools are the schools of choice in the vast majority of our locations. That makes its own statement, that is, that the emphasis has been on the delivery of a quality learner experience. The ethos that we have created is one where students want to go to school, want to be in school and want to learn. That is demonstrated in the reports we get at board level from our schools.

At school level, a lot of work goes into analysis and self-evaluation. We are among the first to bring in self-evaluation at school level, conducted by all parties. From an efficiency point of view, we are waiting for a fit-for-purpose IT system. It is taking longer than expected because of the process that must be gone through at national level. The Secretary General made reference to that in his opening statement. However, what we have done in-house is to bring in new systems to minimise the workload in trying to account for, as the chairman from Tipperary said, large volumes of cash coming in from schools. We are trying to eliminate that. This has spread to nine of the other ETBs.

Kildare and Wicklow ETB has one of the best records where paying our creditors on time is concerned. Some 85% of our creditors are paid within a two-week period, which is a fairly high success rate and one of the highest in the country.

On the risk register side, we have been able to track systems and reduce many of the risks. Our insurers tell us that we have brought our claims-to-premium ratio down to 82% or 83%, which is one of the best in the public sector. The IT systems are needed to track, to see what is going on out there and to give management good, regular updates on the issues as they emerge.

There is an Office of Government Procurement, OGP, procurement taking place for a new purchase-to-pay card system. As was noted this morning, that will provide an opportunity for the local school to purchase locally, by buying goods in the local supermarket for example . One of the big criticisms that we have had of the OGP's "big bang" approach is that the local supplier lost out. I hope that the purchase-to-pay card system will bring some needed money back into the local economy, because schools have a lot of relationships and contacts with local providers.