Ms Aisling Moran:

I thank the Senators and the Deputy for their kind words. We are all interlinked and there is huge commonality between all of us. Policy was one of the issues referred to. When we consider this policy, our island imports third level education but we cannot educate our youth. We are inter-generational, but on the flip side in five years' time, we will lose all our children because one cannot get a primary level education on Sherkin Island. One can, however, get a third level degree. It makes no sense and the policy works against us. The policy exists for the mainland. The Senator asked how come the committee did not know about Sherkin Island. I am letting the committee know about the other issue we have, and which people need to know about.

The representatives from the National College of Art and Design spoke of progression. Our students' progression shows how they go on to master's degrees and PhDs, and we have all the figures on this from the BA in visual art course. They also go on to work in places such as McAuley Place centre, they contribute to the Bealtaine festival and they work with people who have a disability and there are people on the programme with a disability. We are all holding hands on this, and we all need to be recognised together. To have the opportunity to appear before the committee today is massive, especially for us, although I am sure for everyone else as they have said. We thank the committee for that opportunity.

A question was asked about the standards. The standard of art coming out of the degree course on Sherkin Island is phenomenal. Ms O'Neill Collins will speak to the committee about this aspect as it is her area of expertise. I am in the background all the time.