Mr. Bernard Joyce:

It was lovely to meet with Senator Dolan and Young Fine Gael. It was the first time that we were ever invited into that space and it was a very welcome conversation and discussion. There was good energy and momentum.

On the question of role models within second-level education, Ms Reilly is here and has done her degree, as have Ms Joyce and many others, including myself. The fact that we are sitting here and having this conversation gives credence to the importance of education and why it is important. On the other side, for many of us it has been a personal challenge going through the education system. In some cases there is a legacy around education and the past. It is a dark history in how Travellers were segregated from wider society with specialised schools and structures. It was not progressive in any way. Even now there are examples of this when one considers Canada and the Native Americans. Travellers were very much treated in a similar fashion. We were removed from the general population, put into Traveller schools and taught very much around the settled education. When we move further forward it is important to remember this and that we do not want to revert back to that. It is not just about role models it about the opportunities, the supports and the structures that are in place for people who want to go on to third level education, or for those who want to finish second level education. This can be done by putting in investment and structures, and by making the environment within the schools a welcome, inclusive and supportive environment. It is hard enough to learn but it is a lot more challenging when a person is facing bullying because of his or her identity, if the student is not learning about his or her culture and history and feels like an outsider within the school. We want to try to reverse that and make the school a more inclusive place for every child including members of the Traveller community. That is very important.

There can be other challenges with regard to gender and there is a need to make sure that young women are supported within education and to make sure that the structures are there. People have this kind of notion around education or being in a particular position and that a person cannot have both. One can have an identity and an education, we do not pick one or the other, and a person can have a career on top of that. This is why it is important to have people like Senator Flynn, and others who are studying law so we are not tunnelled into a particular path, we are in the public, the private and the third sectors and that opportunities are available to all of us.