Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome our guests. I am afraid I was one of the enemy in that I was a teacher for many years. I ask our guests to be kind in their answers. It is important for us to hear the student voice. I have served on seven boards of management. I was interested in politics and in the staffroom, that meant I was a good candidate to run the student council. I was the kind of fellow who got landed with those jobs. I loved them, to be fair. It is important that we are hearing the student voice. I was watching the meeting on the monitor in my office and our guests are doing a great job. Fair play to them.

I was in the Cork Life Centre last week with the Taoiseach, Mr. Sharpe and Ms O'Leary. He visited last Friday. We only found out afterwards that the centre takes a half day every Friday and the Taoiseach did not arrive until 4 o'clock. Students in the centre think of it as a happy place and safe space. As Ms O'Leary said, it is like a community. Discussions are ongoing with the Department to get the teachers certified and registered, and to arrange for them to be paid as they would be in any normal school. It is great to see that progress.

I read our guests' briefs and I will pick up on one or two things with Mr. Sharpe and Ms O'Leary. Mr. Sharpe said there was almost a stigma associated with going to the guidance counsellor when he was in his old school. I know things are different in the Cork Life Centre. Mr. Don O'Leary and Ms Rachel Lucey provide access to guidance counsellors or whatever else is required. How would it work in a mainstream school, if Mr. Sharpe can take himself back to what it was like in the mainstream? He said there was a stigma associated with going to a specific room to see a guidance counsellor. How could it best be rolled out if someone was available to talk to students individually about their mental health?

Ms O'Leary spoke about reduced timetables, which the committee spoke about a few months ago. As a former teacher, I do not see the benefit of a reduced timetable. However, I would be interested to hear Ms O'Leary's perspective. From the position she was in when her timetable was reduced, did she think it was a good or bad thing? What was her experience?