Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman. I welcome the Minister and Minister of State to the committee. I commend them on the very positive message they are giving to us and by extension the public. It is extremely important that the message goes out that it is the Government's intention that in-person learning will recommence in September in our third level institutions.

It is also equally important that the Minister and Minister of State have the support of all Members of the Oireachtas in seeking to achieve that. I am conscious there are concerns out there about variants and such issues. The Minister, Deputy Harris, is correct when he emphasises the positive impact that vaccines are having on the pandemic.

We are in a much different place now than we were 12 months ago.

Has the Minister read the AONTAS report that was published yesterday, which is reported in The Irish Timestoday? A number of issues in it were of considerable concern to me. One is that 54% of third-level students who had been surveyed reported that they had struggled with motivation and lack of structure in the online learning. More significantly, 59% said they struggled with their mental health as a result of how the pandemic has affected their lives and specifically third-level education. I do not know if the Minister read that or if it is part of the motivation for why he thinks it is so important we get third-level students back on to campus.