Mr. Sean O'Sullivan:

So it is 28. That is not a great start. If we at primary and secondary levels are not producing the quality we need to have at third level, that is a fundamental we need to address. Many people are doing things in that area. I am trying to help out in some areas such as introducing the Khan Academy to Ireland. Irish universities have an opportunity to respond to the needs of the jobs market but it is really a question of where parents and society are directing children to study.

There are a number of issues here that are too broad for me to address. We need to be selective and recognise that these most talented positions are in the top 5% of our graduates rather than at a lower cut-off level. Two or three years ago, one could get into Trinity College by being in the top third of one's high school graduating class if one was applying for engineering. That is not selective enough. The top design engineers will be much more talented than those who are slightly above the high school average. We should be looking to get really super-talented people to apply for this and we will only do so if they have the background in the mathematical skills in which we are sorely lacking. CoderDojo also helps tremendously in bringing up the level. Would Mr. Sweetman like to speak about the interface between industry and universities?