Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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Dr. Sweeney's contribution has been fascinating and invaluable. He answered so many questions that there were one or two he may have missed. The Chairman asked about how, where there is an area as well as individuals, we can look to wider social support. I worked with young unemployed people in Wexford for a year and looked at the very particular challenges of another blackspot.

My own question was on flexibility where we are trying to bring in new cohorts in, and not even trying to bring in because in many cases, as Dr. Sweeney highlighted, they are keen to be offered training and opportunities. Do we need to re-examine, for example, the full-time availability requirement specifically in that respect? I know that is a key issue for many people who are either qualified adults or are on disability payments.

I wish to add to what Dr. Sweeny said about soft skills. We need to look at this again. It relates to philosophy, civics and those sorts of things in our secondary education system. Those are capacities. They need to be occupationally applied. Based on what Dr. Sweeney said, we may have to propose recommendations on changes to how career guidance is provided in schools.

My last point is that I would strongly support some of the points that Dr. Sweeney made about the direction that the Labour Market Council might need to go in terms of alignment. We have been pushing a joined-up approach in terms of the sectors we want to build, the enterprise we want and the quality of employment we want in Ireland. I would support some of the ambition on where the Labour Market Council could focus. I know there is an employer engagement group but is there a union engagement? Is there engagement with other strands? How might that be strengthened as the Labour Market Council continues to evolve?