David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is very good to see Ms Cregg again and I thank her for her presentation. I also thank Dr. Doody for his attendance.

I was around when the pilot projects were initiated and I am glad to see they are ongoing. Earlier, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth noted there had been problems due to Covid. I ask the delegation to give an overview of the projects. What exactly is happening on the ground? How do Traveller children experience these projects? What are the people involved actually doing? We have home school community liaison people on the ground and others. I ask the delegation to paint a picture of what difference the projects make for young Travellers, their families and schools.

Ms Cregg mentioned Youthreach. The local training initiatives are another area that young people go into when the system, as I say, fails them. I ask the delegation to comment on Youthreach, local training initiatives and those other pathways. We have heard from time to time that not everybody, not just Travellers but other students in the mainstream, find the academic leaving certificate as we know it at present to be the best way to go. There are other pathways and I ask the delegation to comment on them. How do these pathways assist and support Travellers and some others to find additional pathways to qualifications, jobs and so forth?