Ms Máirín Ní Chéileachair:

I cannot argue with what my colleagues, Ms Austick and Ms Neville, have stated, to the effect that we should provide several options. Given the youth of the Deputies, they may not be aware that at one time, certification was issued at the end of primary school. There was a primary certificate once upon a time. I am sure that when it was removed, the system went into a shock similar to the one that may ensue if we ever remove the leaving certificate. However, it happened and the sky did not fall down. We continued to educate children at primary school age to into second-level schools, which then became free to access thanks to the great Donogh O'Malley. We need to consider other options. The leaving certificate serves a purpose but it should not serve the whole purpose. We need to be more creative and to engage in blue-sky thinking on this issue. We made our submission based on the needs of children in special schools who have profound special needs and for whom alternatives must be found, but there are other children and students outside that sector for whom alternatives must also be found. As a society, we should be able to embrace that challenge and do that.