Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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The Minister has visited the Young Scientist Exhibition. I go every year and visit the stands for the local schools and discuss their projects. It is very evident that this is a great opportunity for young people to learn how to work as a team and to be inventive and innovative and so on. I have noticed over the past couple of years that projects have come only from the Lucan side of my constituency. There have been none from Clondalkin. Those that come from Clondalkin are rarely from the schools in disadvantaged areas. Those schools have made huge progress in terms of sending students to third level education and it is surprising not to see them getting involved in the Young Scientist Exhibition. Is that reflected in other constituencies? Something needs to be done about it. I should raise it with British Telecom, the organisers of the Young Scientist Exhibition but I thought it worth mentioning to the Minister.