Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator Higgins on this. I taught in further education for the best part of 25 years. Those who find themselves out of work for whatever reason and trying to plan their future or a way ahead sometimes feel pressurised into making decisions they ordinarily would not make. The fact that somebody attended should be enough. Trying to force somebody to accept a particular plan at the meeting is an unfair call. The person needs time to think about it. In my experience in Dún Laoghaire, we were very lucky with our adult guidance service. It was good at fitting people into the niche that suited them best, but that was not true of all the services. Sometimes people started on a course, lasted five or six weeks and found it was not for them. I found myself unemployed in my 30s and trying to find a way around the problems one encounters with that. One has enough trouble just trying to cope with has happened without being forced into signing off on something with which one is not comfortable. I support Senator Higgins on this.