Mr. Lewis Purser:

The leaving certificate completion rates were significantly lower prior to the 2008-09 crash. As a result of that crash, in particular the disappearance of unskilled jobs in the construction sector, the attainment and school completion rates of young men in the Republic of Ireland increased significantly and have stayed at that increased level despite the economy roaring back subsequently. That was a real step change that took place. I do not know the situation in Northern Ireland particularly well, but I understand that if we delve into the top level statistics and examine completion rates between different socioeconomic groups and communities we will see some quite strong differences which would support what Mr. Hannigan was saying.

On access to primary education, I entirely agree with the Deputy. It is an anomaly. In all other courses the emphasis is on learning outcomes and what people can do at the end of a programme, as opposed to what they bring into it. To insist on a certain level of leaving certificate Irish in order to enter a programme is a complete anomaly and discriminates against a lot of applicants, including Irish people living in the country who may not have been born here and, therefore, did not take Irish as a leaving certificate subject.

It is not just entry to a bachelor of education qualification that is affected by this. We need more teachers in the Republic, but qualified teachers in the North, Scotland or wherever who wish to enter the profession cannot enter primary school teaching. They instead come in as special learning or classroom assistants, but are not recognised as qualified teachers.