David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Our guests are welcome. I was listening on the monitor but was involved in another meeting with the Open Doors Initiative, which is also concerned with training and focusing on a cohort of people who find it hard to get employment. There is a little bit of an overlap with what we are talking about today.

I am astounded at the amount of money in the National Training Fund. It is colossal and I had no idea it was that big. There are opportunities to do positive things when that amount of money is available. It is heading for €1 billion. That is mind-blowing. It shows how well things are going, in one sense., that people are able to contribute to the fund.

I am interested in STEM and in how SFI is assisting women in that space. Professor Nolan mentioned SFI has been at the forefront in developing initiatives "to remove and mitigate any existing or perceived factors that may limit the participation of women in STEM careers at fourth level". He might expand on what those initiatives are. In my former role as Minister with responsibility for equality, we did a lot of work in that space and it is good to see it developing. Professor Nolan or Dr. Freeman might be able to tell us a little more about what SFI is doing.