Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I would like to acknowledge the considerable level of work done. It has been a very busy August for anybody involved in education in any shape or form. Having visited a number of schools in my constituency, I know that principals have been extremely busy since the start of August to make the preparations that were necessary. I am sure that is true of the representative bodies that have attended the meeting. I thank all our guests for their very detailed presentations. Many of the questions I had intended to ask have been answered.

I might direct my first couple of questions to Ms Fanning. She made a point earlier about having a dedicated point of contact within the Department for parents. Does she believe that is in place and functioning adequately at the moment?

There is an issue with older children, often from particular socioeconomic backgrounds, choosing to finish their schooling early. Does Ms Fanning believe that enough supports are in place to get these children, who are often from vulnerable backgrounds, back into the school system to finish their education?