Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I refer again to recruitment and retention. The former Deputy Pat Rabbitte is now chair of Tusla. He came before the committee some weeks ago and the recruitment and retention of social workers was a key area that he wanted to discuss. In parallel with the IFCA, he also raised bridging education that would upskill social care staff. If people have identified this as an issue that has been ongoing for many years, why has the system not bridged that gap? Why is it that instead of going back into full-time education, social care staff cannot do a bridging or postgraduate course that would see them suitably qualified? What is the IFCA's perception of the gaps there? Why has that not happened?