Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for their contributions. They have been very informative. If I take one thing away from our parliamentary work, it will be that we must hold the State to account for the implementation of its various ongoing strategies. It can often be difficult to get a sense of how a strategy, such as the inclusion strategy for 2017-2021, is going midway through it. We might get a sense from witnesses at committees or whoever the strategy concerns, but it can often be difficult to get a sense based on updates from the Department. We must hold the State and the Department to account for the implementation of such strategies.

I acknowledge what the witnesses have said about Senator Kelleher's Bill and the Civic Engagement Group of which Senator Ruane is a member. I and others on this committee will do everything we can to get that Bill over the line before an election is called.

I was not great at school, but I always said it was not a gay place to be.

I primarily learned about history and politics through Irish music and songs, many of which were saved, collected, preserved and passed on by the Traveller community, as Ms Catherine Joyce mentioned. I have previously mentioned John Reilly from Boyle in County Roscommon, who preserved many of the songs I know and sing. I did not learn about him through leaving certificate music. We should be looking at specific classes and a specific learning session should be embedded. I should have learned about John Reilly in leaving certificate music.

I do not have much more to add. I am interested in what Mr. Nevin said about reparations. He mentioned open honest discourse. I am sure his community does not have much trust in the media, which often informs these discussions, to have an open and honest discourse. They might not have much trust in this place either, though I sometimes feel we do a better job than the media. The dinner table is a great place for discussions, but I wonder in what kind of forums those appropriate, open honest discourses should be held. I would welcome any comments on that. How can we undo decades of assimilation? I again thank everyone for their contributions.