Gillian Toole (Meath East, Independent)

As the very proud daughter, niece, granddaughter and friend of primary, secondary and tertiary educators, I very much welcome this opportunity for statements today. I will not repeat what I have heard from other contributors. The book Poor by Dr. Kathriona O'Sullivan of Maynooth University points to the importance of education as a freedom, as a gateway and as being life changing. The importance of the one special teacher and the influence they can have on a young child or even a teenager and the later path in life that they may take is never to be underestimated.

It was most welcome to hear from the Minister, Deputy McEntee, about the engagement with the different teaching unions over recent weeks and the spirit of collegiality. The support of the teaching professionals is absolutely essential to ensure our young people will have that person of significance and that encouragement.

One area that overlaps with my background in health is emotional and sensory well-being as well as the academic side of our endeavour to be world leaders in education. On that emotional and sensory well-being piece - the Minister of State has heard me mention this at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Autism - it is so important to support and enable every child to learn. Fantastic pilot projects and local initiatives are being played out and implemented, and I am aware of data having been gathered over the last five years and possibly even as far back as eight years. There is the process of story massage, drama therapy and art therapy that we are aware of, and there are the important nurture rooms in the school environment for any child who feels a little out of sorts, maybe even including a child who is classified as dysregulated from time to time. Those resources are as important as the members of the teaching community and the bricks and mortar that huge efforts are being made to deliver. One school that is within the city boundary, which might be a useful reference for a visit as an example of best practice, is St. James's in Dublin 8, both the primary and secondary. Melissa - whose surname escapes me but I can get the details for the Minister of State's office - and her colleagues are actually walking the walk and gathering the data. The children are benefiting immensely and that progression of the child from primary school to junior to senior cycle is self-evident. The school is only a short journey from this House. That might provide some food for thought for an expanded education journey.

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