Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and Minister of State for being here. We had good presentations from various TUs throughout the country. They spoke repeatedly about funding, which is a legacy issue.

Every time the Minister crosses my path at this committee, we talk about literacy because all political parties in the Oireachtas have an interest in this issue. The Minister mentioned a new national literacy, numeracy and digital strategy that will come out at Easter. I spoke to him previously about the number of Departments that have sections that deal with literacy. I think the number might be nine. This needs to be challenged with regard to how effective we can be as a political entity and an Oireachtas in tackling literacy issues if it is so dispersed. There is a section in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and another in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. If we were to create a single entity and call it Literacy Ireland to do what the Minister and all of us want to achieve, that might be something he could consider. Perhaps he could speak about that in the time he has.

Will the Minister give the committee some reassurance that he is engaging proactively with the Minister for Education and the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, regarding the leaving certificate and post leaving certificate, the race for and plan for places, and how we can have a transition between this very troubling time for young people who are facing into the leaving certificate and the leaving certificate applied and the next stage in their lives, be it apprenticeships or further or third level education?