Ms Mary Hoade:

My thanks to Senator O'Loughlin for her comments. One of the things I said at the outset was that many councillors throughout the country have been members of statutory education training boards as well as being members of education and training boards. I am chairperson of a board of management of a secondary school of almost 700 people. I have been on the boards of management of two primary schools. Councillors come to the table with this expertise and knowledge. They have worked in the education sector. They come with this knowledge and have been involved in participation at a great level in the area through boards of management. I take the view that they have the capacity within themselves to be able to bring skills, knowledge and expertise to the table in that regard.