Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the ETB for coming in to meet with us today. As a qualified youth worker, I believe youth work is a different form of education and it can give young people the tools to keep themselves and others around them safe. During this pandemic, young people have been getting much of the blame for spreading the virus so I echo the point about how important it is to educate our young people. I came through the ETB system and I am a graduate of Ballyfermot College of Higher Education. I studied pre-nursing and absolutely loved it. As a Traveller woman, it gave me that sense of belonging. In Ballyfermot college there were people who were deaf or visually impaired and who had extra supports like note-takers and interpreters. This is the most important question I have. We are talking about literacy skills and people who cannot even get access to the college because of their literacy skills but there are also people in college who are blind or deaf and who need that intense learning support while in the class. As a student who came through it I know what it is like and it is the loveliest atmosphere in the world. How are those adults and young people getting through the system in the middle of this pandemic?

People using their mobile phones was mentioned. Has the ETB spoken to students who have been using their mobile phones over the past number of weeks and months? What was that impact for those young people? We also spoke about the digital divide. What kind of an impact has that had on students? A few weeks ago, young people in the ETB in Donegal did not have access to do their courses online and were not allowed to do them online. I am bringing that issue up here today. It is a requirement that universities do their courses online but it is not even an option in some cases for students in the ETB. What measures need to be put in place so that people can have the option to do online learning within the ETB?

Our ETBs and further education institutions should be treated with equal respect to our universities. From my own personal experience, I know how valuable they are in society, and for young Traveller men especially because they create apprenticeships. I have worked around the table with the ETB. I give the witnesses credit for the work they have done to date.