Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Deputy's comments. Work is ongoing in respect of Traveller ethnicity, direct provision, integration and interaction. Yesterday there was positive interaction with the Deputy's committee.

One of the points I am quite keen to pursue under the integration strategy relates to young people. Obviously, a number of young people are between two identities at the moment. They might have come here as migrants or might be the children of migrants. They are now trying to come to terms with being between two identities. I am keen to use that as a positive factor in society in order that people are comfortable with being Irish-Nigerian, Irish-Polish or Irish-Moldovan. We need to ensure we do not make the mistakes made by other countries 50 years ago when they had their first influx of migrants. For example, we can galvanise what is best about the identities of young people who often feel alienated from the mainstream of society and move forward from there. If we make mistakes now, we will reap a whirlwind of discontent for years to come. The needs of the education sector are at the heart of the integration strategy. The challenges faced by young people are of key importance in that context.

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