Susan O'Keeffe (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The event will start at 12.30 p.m. and there will be 45 students representing a number of counties, including Dublin, Galway, Wicklow, Roscommon, Kilkenny, Westmeath and Sligo. We are very lucky that the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, will be here at 1.30 p.m. to hear the students' views on the leaving certificate examination and what they think should be done with it. They will have an opportunity to read their contributions to him and he will answer questions. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, will listen to their contributions on what they think about Ireland and their future here. It will be the first time this will ever have been done in the Houses of the Oireachtas and it would be great if Senators were able to support these young people on the day and show that we were interested in their future.