Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)

We can see how well young people benefited, be they Traveller children or settled children. I know from my own experience that we put great emphasis on mainstream education, but we should be putting emphasis on Youthreach, community training centres and other places that provide an excellent level of education in a way that is appropriate for each person, with care and kindness. We should celebrate that as much as we celebrate the other milestones reached by students.

To follow on from Senator O'Reilly, we see real success by people in the Traveller community when they are in third level education and complete third level education.

There is a person in my constituency who has completed a PhD. We are all very proud of him. When we reach that point and there are no barriers to education at any level, we will really be ar mhuin na muice, as my mother used to say.