Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would like to put a few questions to the witnesses before asking them to respond. I agree with much of what has been said by my colleagues in regard to DEIS. Having worked in a DEIS school as a primary school teacher I know that there is no school that does not need resources. Often it does not matter in what way those resources come about. Schools that are in DEIS have more resources and support for the children in their care during school hours and often after school in terms of homework clubs etc., and this enables those children to have a better and more positive experience. In my experience, that works. I am more concerned about the schools that do not get any funding through DEIS status but absolutely need it. I say that coming from a county that not only did not get one additional rural or urban DEIS designation, it lost a DEIS designation at a secondary school, which has had a huge impact on that school. DEIS supports are important.

Dr. O'Sullivan mentioned that sometimes one vulnerable group gets additional support at the cost of another. It is four years since I last visited Maynooth University. At that time, the university operated a programme which encouraged people with intellectual disabilities to do modules at the university. This meant that young people with an intellectual disability were able to go to college and they had a fantastic experience. Funding for that programme has since been withdrawn and so people with intellectual disabilities no longer have that opportunity. That, too, is an important issue.

On transition year students and trying to ensure that children in a DEIS school have the same opportunities, I am working with the head of the local enterprise office, LEO, in Kildare, the president of the chamber of commerce in Kildare and a careers guidance teacher in Kildare on the development of a pilot scheme for schools in Kildare which we are calling "passport to work". We have ten different modules. We are hoping to roll out the programme this September. The aim of the programme is to ensure that from an employer's point of view and the school point of view there is certainty and clarity around the expectation of the student, the school and the business. As a person who is now giving work experience to young people, I am well aware of the disparity in this regard. We hope to roll out the programme in eight schools next September.

When I started teaching, the INTO had produced a really good document called Breaking the Cycle. It was about the generations of families who never achieved more than the generation before. There has been some success in this area but not enough. We have heard some fantastic examples of how this can be done from Ms Waters, Dr. O'Sullivan and others. We need to put far more effort into doing that. Ms Dooley spoke about apprenticeships. The committee has produced a paper on the issue. Encouraging parity of esteem in relation to apprenticeships is hugely important. The committee has done a bit of work on the issue with SOLAS and Education and Training Boards Ireland, ETBI. We hope to continue that important work. The committee has made the suggestion that, similar to the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, we should be doing something on a national level about apprenticeships and skills, possibly using the National Ploughing Championships as a means of showcasing particular areas.

If there are issues that the witnesses would like to highlight today but they do not get an opportunity to do so, they can forward further submissions to the committee. All submissions received will form part of our final report on this issue.

On the difference between urban and rural opportunities and disadvantage, some rural areas do not have the same opportunities as urban areas. There are disadvantages in Tallaght and Ballintubber but they are different. It is about focusing on how we can help and support these areas. For example, the small rural school in Coill Dubh, County Kildare, which is dealing with a completely different type of social disadvantage, does not have DEIS status, while a large school in Newbridge does.

I firmly believe that non-formal education is as every bit as important as formal education. We need to invest in supports and resources to develop the rounded person in his or her community, the family and in society, as well to develop his or her resilience and all of that.

On Foróige, Ms Niamh Quinn spoke about intervention with those under six and those over 16. A home-school community liaison officer will work closely with the under sixes and the school completion officer will work with those over 16. We informed the Minister that we felt that position would sit better in the Department of Education and Skills than in the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Should Foróige work with home-school community liaison scheme? Should it take it over and how would that relationship work?