Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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On behalf of the committee I welcome Ms Claire McGee, head of education and innovation policy at the Irish Business and Economic Confederation, IBEC; Ms Helen McMahon, senior strategy policy adviser, Enterprise Ireland; Mr. Neil McDonnell, chief executive, Irish Small and Medium Employers, ISME; Dr. Aisling Soden, project manager, talent transformation and innovation department, Industrial Development Agency; and Mr. Michael Fitzgerald, technical training and development manager, ESB Networks. I also welcome Mr. Donal Leahy, manager, strategic policy, Enterprise Ireland and Mr. Seán Murphy, senior manager, public relations and affairs, ESB, who are in the Public Gallery. Representatives from the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, were also invited but could not attend due to other business. The witnesses are here to discuss the future of science technology, engineering and maths, STEM, in education. The format of the meeting is that I will invite the witnesses to make a brief opening statement in the following order: Ms McGee; Ms McMahon; Mr. McDonnell; Dr. Soden, and Mr. Fitzgerald. They can follow one another and I will not interrupt them. This will be followed by questions from committee members.

Before I go further, witnesses are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of a person or entity or engage in any hate speech. If they do, but I do not think they will, they will be directed by the Chair to discontinue their remarks and it is imperative that they comply with this direction. I invite Ms McGee to make the first opening statement and timers are located under the screens.