Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I acknowledge his personal interest in and engagement on this. I appreciate his point on progress between 2017 and now. I cannot say what the initial delay was. No doubt Covid had an impact but the important thing concerns where we are now and what we are going to do next. I see this report as a catalyst to allow the working group to go through each of the points the Deputy has made, which points I have made previously.

I believe the centres themselves would acknowledge that, in many instances, it has been a struggle for them. There have been challenges and difficulties for them. I appreciate the Deputy’s acknowledgement of the supports given when the matter is raised with us. The centres themselves need a definitive standing regarding supports that can be offered, and that is why we will move as quickly as possible, through the working group, specifically to examine the recommendations so as to find a funding mechanism that will remove the challenges that have arisen heretofore for the centres. It is a matter of achieving coherence of delivery and governance across the centres. The purpose is to work with the centres collectively to find a model that best meets and suits the needs of the students. In the next step, with the working group, there will be wide consultation. I assure the members that there will be consultation with the students involved in the process, in particular. I cannot speak for what happened up to this point; I can speak only to what my ambition is. It is to make progress as quickly as possible via the working group to answer the very significant questions that the centres themselves want answered and that need to be provided to ensure sustainability.