Ms Amanda McCloat:

That is am interesting point. The subject is well established in Japan, as it is also compulsory in primary school for two years as well.

I mentioned some of the challenges being faced in Northern Ireland in respect of teaching resources. We have been proactive in trying to address that in the South. We are engaging in a research project with Ms Mairéad Davidson, who is my equivalent in the University of Ulster, into how they rolled out home economics to key stage three. We will investigate some of the challenges and benefits perceived by teachers perceive. We hope to have the outcome of that project in a few short months. We will happily share that with the committee.

The buildings unit in the Department of Education and Skills uses a clear specification for school kitchens. The unit may have some figures in respect of what that would cost, or what that has cost in the past to kit out various schools that it has overseen.