Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was following the debate in my office with great interest. I do not necessarily want to repeat what has been said, but I wish to focus on two matters. The question of literacy has been mentioned. Last year, I met Ms Helen Ryan of the National Adult Literacy Agency, NALA. I was shocked by some of the statistics on literacy that she presented to us. For example, Ireland is ranked 17th out of 24 countries for literacy and 18th for numeracy. One in six adults has problems reading and understanding everyday items such as bus timetables and medical prescriptions. Without doubt, low literacy rates cost and strong literacy rates pay. The cost of low literacy levels to the individual, communities and society is significant. We should see this as a priority. Literacy promotes equality. When I speak about literacy and numeracy, I also mean digital literacy. Recent months - it has been nearly a year now that I think about it - have proven that.

I would be interested in knowing the witnesses' thoughts on how we can help narrow the gap. Their organisations are in a unique position to work with bodies like NALA. In terms of social exclusion and inequality, this is the main issue. I was a primary school teacher in a disadvantaged area many years ago and ensuring literacy was the main element I tried to get right. That 18% of adults are lacking literacy skills is shocking in a country that prides itself on its education. I would be interested in knowing what support we could provide.

It is not surprising that fewer people have opted for apprentices in recent months, but it is a concern because the numbers were low beforehand. This was due to a lack of parity of esteem between university learning and earn-as-you-learn apprenticeships. Two years ago, only 2% of people taking up apprenticeships were women. Last year, that increased to 4%. How do we address that?

I wish to ask about the return to campuses. My nephew started in the University of Limerick this year. He was lucky that his course required him to be on campus for part of it. Students could engage with one another in the learning curve, albeit in limited ways. Two young guys in the flat beneath his are doing the same course and they find that working together in a group is beneficial and helpful, even when much of the work is done online. Trying to allow a return is important.

My final point is one I make whenever I have the opportunity. It relates to people with disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, accessing further and higher education. It is important and we need to do everything possible to ensure everyone has that opportunity.