Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)

I thank Senator Flynn for what she said and I hope her message will get back to the Minister. I thank her for raising the matter and giving me the opportunity to assure the House that the Department of Education, TESS and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. They assure me they will continue to support children and their families, providing information on the reduced school days guidelines and by continuing to monitor the use of reduced school days for children of all ethnic backgrounds and in particular children with special educational needs. They will ensure that the school is provided with the supports required to enable a child to return to school on a full-time basis.

On what the Senator just said, I remember Mary Forde, who was principal of Presentation College, Athenry. She had a number of students from the Traveller community. One of them went on to do the leaving certificate - unfortunately not many of them did so - achieved great results and went on to do a teaching course. There is a young man in Galway named Ian McDonagh with whom I am very friendly. He is an exceptional young man. I had him up here for a full day with me and we met the Taoiseach and every Minister. He is a very good young lad who stayed in school. Senator Flynn is making a very valid point. I was sad to hear what she had to say about the members of the community coming in, and the young man who was looking up at the picture of Michael D. Higgins and did not know who our Taoiseach is. I hope the programmes that have been put in place will encourage more Travellers to go back to school and to play a part in our community and our education system.