Ms Shirley Comerford:

I agree with Ms McDonagh. That is the utopia, and it would be a fantastic place for us to reach. Our experience with marginalised groups is that it takes a while. We need purposeful interventions by organisations or by sectors. If the Chairman were to ask me what things have worked well previously, we can point to the experiences we have seen in apprenticeships and work placement programmes that provide access to employment. Although the numbers are small, it is a start. I believe that could work. On the other side of that, it is not just that entry piece. The committee has heard me say previously that it is about ensuring there are appropriate supports in place - supports for the individual and supports from an organisation perspective. It is a journey. While I can speak for my organisation, I am sure other CEOs would say the same. It is a journey, a learning and purposeful journey that an organisation must have. There are conversations that must happen, interventions and initiatives must be there and an understanding must be created. That training piece is very important in organisations.

HR communities have an important role to play in ensuring that they are having these conversations at the top table and holding leadership accountable for driving inclusive workplace cultures.

The other thing is not to be complacent. It is about making sure that we are engaging with individuals, understanding their experience and using that to ensure we develop appropriate interventions and initiatives. I cannot say that we have all the answers, but if we had something like that it would be a very good starting point from which we could build and develop.