Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael)
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I was going to mention that we have an excellent small school outside Ballinasloe in Clontuskert, which just won the first ever climate action project award. It is also a Microsoft school and a green flag school. I commend the teaching staff and principals that we have in our schools across the country but for a school in a small town in east Galway competing on the world stage to win an award that was awarded at COP26, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, it was incredible to see. It just shows that with technology, there is a levelling. There is the point of view of having access to devices but when one also has technology, one can compete in any forum.

I will perhaps ask a quick question around how we can support teachers. Science Foundation Ireland, SFI, spoke a little bit about accreditation for teachers and I know from SFI that there would have been training programmes at times with centres of excellence in which teachers could participate. It was about learning new research skills or about the research environment at the time or what was happening in a particular subject area. It drives passion, engagement and enthusiasm. How do we do that across other subjects, particularly around digital skills? I must admit that I probably am not totally au fait with everything that is happening at the moment. Is there a way we can do that when teachers and principals at the moment are so overwhelmed after the last year or 18 months? I know that they have such a heavy load and can sometimes be at breaking point. Does the Department have any ideas about how we do this in a way that will enable and support teachers and yet not be an additional load on top?

Finally, I will comment on the student voice on the examinations this year. Mr. Tatton mentioned very briefly that there is probably not any decision yet on the examinations coming up this year. The student voice in that decision-making is important, however. The Minister, Deputy Foley, said that was a key part in the last couple of years and I believe that she is very focused on that. Mr. Tattan might comment on how that consultation process might look in the next number of months.