Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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I know that some schools do the year very well. The school with which I have the most experience is that of my sons, in Kilkenny, and it is very good in that during the summer before transition year, meetings are held with parents to explain what the year is about and various aspects of work experience but also the cost. Assistance with that is available and the cost can be spread out. The school trip, for example, can be paid for in instalments. I do not see that in many secondary schools, however, so I always feel very lucky that my sons have that. I have a big issue with the education system in that it is so academic. It really pigeonholes people. They either get the points or do not, but there is so much else we could focus on such as life skills and other attributes people who are not necessarily academic might have.

I thank Dr. Muldoon and his staff for attending today and all the times they have been here. Some of us, probably including Deputy Sherlock, do share his frustration, but I am glad he raised it and called it out because that is important. As he will know, we invited in representatives of the youth advisory panel and we had a recent report on youth work, access to CAMHS and the Child Care (Amendment) Bill, which Deputy Sherlock raised. We have very similar recommendations to those of the ombudsman. We have published several reports and we would love the recommendations to be implemented. We will certainly keep pushing for that and for follow-up debates in the Dáil and the Seanad.

This is my last public meeting to chair in this role. It has genuinely been one of the best roles I have ever had and I feel honoured to have had the privilege over the past four and a bit years. I know that whoever takes over will continue in pushing the very important work. I thank everybody who has come before the committee during my time, particularly everyone who told their very personal stories at times. We have dealt with a great deal of legislation, including during Covid, when it was very difficult, but people persevered and were of great assistance to us as a committee in producing our reports and so on. I thank everybody, today's witnesses included, and Tusla, the Minister and all the various bodies with which we engage regularly, as well as our members. We hold a lot of meetings publicly but we have a lot of private meetings as well to discuss reports. Everybody rows in and there is a great sense of working together and towards solutions. Obviously, I am biased, but I do not think we get that in all committees, and that is down to the membership of the committee and their commitment to it.

Lastly, I thank the staff of the secretariat, who are the real heroes in all this and keep everything going. I must single out Anita because she goes above and beyond in all her work, and that is not to take away from the rest of the secretariat, who are all brilliant. Anyone who has engaged with the committee will acknowledge the work of Anita and how committed she is to it. I thought I should say that while I have the chance to do so publicly.

I propose we publish the opening statements to the Oireachtas website. Is that agreed? Agreed.