Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses and I thank them for their submissions and opening statements today which I am sure other members, like me, found very educational. How can the benefits of DEIS be expanded to disadvantaged children outside of DEIS schools? I am often asked by parents about what is being done to assist schools outside of the DEIS framework. How can inter-agency work be improved to achieve more effective delivery of a range of supports that are important to DEIS schools?

It was mentioned in one of the opening statements that low levels of education are more likely to lead to death at a young age, particularly in reference to risk factors exclusive to people in rural areas. Perhaps the witnesses would expand on that statement. It was also mentioned that one participant surveyed in the Irish Penal Reform Trust, IPRT, survey of young men with offending behaviour said: "If you can't get a job you're going on the rob." How can we better implement education models to encourage employers to hire rehabilitated offenders? Also, how could the EU Youth Guarantee be better utilised in this country?