Ms Nessa White:

I will come in on a couple of the Deputy's points as well. We had a very good example in Gorey a few weeks ago when we had a careers day where all three post-primary schools came together and the Rose of Tralee attended, which exemplified the apprenticeship piece being at the heart of what the guidance counsellors in those three schools do in terms of more of that communication and openness. Dr. Patterson has identified where we can do things differently and build on the good work that has been done.

I am aware of the Deputy's involvement with the ETB and the assessment piece. Deputy Connolly highlighted how we want to be and are assured that it is a system that is as good, if not an improved, system in what we are moving to. We will come back to the Deputy with some updated details on the accommodation piece and the travel expense. There are some real, valid suggestions.

On the disclosure in terms of the Traveller community, I know from engaging with some members that it is always the issue. Getting the employer to register them and then the disclosure piece has been a challenge forever, and that resilience has been something they have had no choice but to address. Going back to Ms Cao's point around the public sector piece, which Deputy McGettigan addressed, it is a potential area we need to look at. In SOLAS, we employ apprentices because we walk the walk. Can we do that some more in that public sector space? It would really demonstrate a whole-of-government commitment to what we are doing. We will definitely take that away to look at it.

Finally, on the voice of the apprentice, for us in SOLAS the voice of the learner is crucial to what we are doing. In our engagement in the 16 strategic dialogues we had with ETBs in the last year, we had a learner in the centre of the room at every one of those, from apprentices to FET learners in general. It was really interesting for their feedback to be given and for them to grow in confidence and ask why some of the feedback had not been addressed. That is certainly something we will be building on internally in SOLAS and then in the wider apprenticeship piece.