Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Professor Cusack. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan would be the next questioner, but Senator Flynn is online. She is not on the precincts of Leinster House, though, so she has given me two questions to ask. Since this is her speaking slot, I will ask those questions for her and hand over to whichever witness is most appropriate to reply. Before I do, though, Professor Cusack spoke about the sense of community and collegiality. Many third level students with whom I chat miss their college communities.

Senator Flynn's first question relates to how the pandemic has had a negative impact on the learning and leaving certificate experience. The newly imposed blended style of learning and the challenges it poses to students, in particular those from disadvantaged backgrounds who do not have access to adequate digital resources, have meant that students might not achieve their full academic potential. Will attempts be made by technological universities to carry out early interventions to encourage disadvantaged students to apply to and attend them?

The importance of apprenticeships and vocational education for disadvantaged students means that these are sometimes their only route into third level education. Will the witnesses speak to the strategy that THEA is working on to ensure the inclusion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds?