Professor Mary Gallagher:

Perhaps what I have to say is an answer in part. Parents who have children of college-going age are very conscious of mental health issues, as they are aware of their child as a whole person.

This is a good question, but let me be specific in the way I answer it. I teach a skill subject, and the language I teach is French. As well as being a lecturer, I am also a tutor and I take small groups and seminars. These students have to be taught a laboratory subject in small groups. One is interacting with small groups of students. Everybody knows that is where the pressure is at third level. If I were president, I would put more emphasis on small group teaching, more emphasis on the students handing in work. Certainly, at third year, I would be correcting a piece of written work from my students every week - that is, ten or 11 pieces of written work. They get feedback on their written work. They do oral work, so they are talking about themselves. There is a high level of contact. I was at an exam board meeting this morning before I came to this committee meeting. One of my students, who is borderline, sent me nine worrybug e-mails about what she needs to be doing. There can be significant contact, but the really interesting part of my answer to Senator O'Donnell's question, which I think will surprise members, is that one of the major problems with students who I can see are in difficulty is that they do not come to the small-group teaching sessions.