Mr. Tim Conlon:

That is a very interesting question . I noted it when Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan mentioned it earlier. We recently provided funding support through a special scheme for recognising performance in higher education for the expansion of the certificate in contemporary living at UCC, which I am sure the Deputy is aware of. It looks at ways for students with intellectual disabilities to engage with higher education and their contemporary living. We are currently discussing the outreach programme with UCC. It will be reflective of the broader ambition of our national strategy to ensure that the student body entering and participating in higher education at all levels reflects the diversity of Ireland's population. The programme in UCC in particular is of interest to us. As Mr. Brownlee said, while some provision has proven challenging during the pandemic, institutions are learning from that and looking at new ways to reach out and engage in different ways with students and broader communities. This goes back to some of the earlier points about lifelong learning. There are additional ways of reaching out, but that is not necessarily germane to leaving certificate reform. The important thing for us is that when students arrive in higher education that they have the supports available to them.