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

I thank Ms Heelan. This morning a joint meeting of the Joint Committee on Education and Skills, Joint Committee on Health and Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection took place. We discussed the barriers to education and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. That was the second of three or four meetings that we intend to hold on the subject.

We hope to start a 10-month internship programme for people with intellectual disabilities in Leinster House next September. The programme will be similar the programme in Tallaght University Hospital and Naas Hospital and our scheme will be called Project Search. We are trying to stand up and be counted in this regard.

I welcome Mr. Nevin who is a co-ordinator with Tallaght Travellers Community Development Project. I call on him to make his opening statement.