Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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Yes. I apologise, as I was hosting a briefing on dyslexia.

One issue that may already have been touched on is that of reduced school hours. I saw a concerning piece from The Journal Investigates about the disproportionate impact of reduced school hours on Traveller children. I flag my concerns there. I note that there were concerns from Ms Anne Burke, chairperson of the Cork Traveller education unit, saying that there were "several forms of exclusion" that Traveller children face in schools." She noted that Traveller children were often on reduced hours and there were issues with resources. This has an impact and there is a need to implement the Traveller and Roma education strategy. There is also a need for teacher training. I note that parents also talk about their experiences of being traumatised in the education system. This is aside from The Journal Investigates piece. A Traveller man said he felt coerced to put his little girl on a reduced timetable. Some of the reports there are quite concerning. There are concerns about it not being used appropriately, and this is one of the concerns laid out.

Similarly, a report from the Limerick Traveller Network found 9.7% of children in a study of 150 children were on reduced timetables. That is a significant number of Traveller children on reduced time at school, and it has a real impact on children. The report cites additional research and a child talking about how the school made the child feel slow. It shows the education system can have a damaging impact on children's self-worth and confidence. The impact there is concerning and alarming. We know the long-term impact this has on children and their engagement with education and the impact that has on people's life outcomes. I note my concerns in that area.

I am interested in the response if the witnesses have any additional thoughts on it but we may have covered this ground already.