This is not the first time the Minister and I have had an interaction on this matter this week. It is all the better for doing it in Ireland as opposed to over in Surrey, at-----

Sentiment score: 0.24

Yes. We are always here.

Sentiment score: 0.20

That is it, and at some point there will be no need, when all the issues are dealt with. I await that day.

Sentiment score: -0.10

Utopia. I am going to agree with Deputies McGettigan and Conway-Walsh - I do not think there will be any shock about that - and we reserve the right to make a determination around this. That answer will be determined by what the Minister intends to use the unlocked moneys for. If there is any detail that could be provided on that in the follow-up statements, it would be an absolute necessity. I will also follow up on what Deputy Conway-Walsh said about the Government needing to make sure that there has been supreme engagement with the employers, those who represent the workers and all those educational stakeholders who would also be involved in this conversation. We also want something that is reactive to the needs not only of industry but also of employers. We spoke earlier about the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre of Excellence in Dundalk. We have all seen what has been done there from the point of view of engagement from industry and the point of view of what can be delivered. We are talking about courses that suit not only the employee but also the employer and we are making sure we provide those necessary skills. I will also follow up on some of the cross-Border scenarios. The Minister and I engaged earlier in the week. There is a need to look not only at the entry points to apprenticeships or third level, but also at something more streamlined in relation to UCAS and CAO. Then we have to look at certification, particularly for apprenticeships and the difficulties that exist there. We have known about an awful lot of these issues for a long time. We have the North-South ministerial bodies and all those cross-Border bodies and even east-west bodies. There are a number of issues that have persisted cross-Border for a number of years and they need to be addressed now. Some of that stuff falls completely within the Minister's bailiwick. The Tánaiste and others spoke about a possible hub or clearing house to action and deal with these issues. That is a necessity. We will also have to deal with the fact that we have an underfunding issue in universities. Plenty has already been said about the cost-of-living crisis and the fact that many are not impressed that they have to pay more for student fees. I know the argument the Minister will make back, but at this point we need to address those issues. I do not think the budget did anywhere near what could have been done, but so be it. While we are dealing with this issue, he will not be shocked to hear me say that there is a need, when we look at the overall and when we talk about tertiary education, for us to deal with the issue of disabilities and the issue of the personal assistants, who do vital work in the further education colleges. He met with me and a number of them. The Minister has assured me - and I imagine my parliamentary question about this will be answered at some point today and I will see this in writing - on the fact that there is a review under way of disability services across third level. That will play a vital part in relation to the WRC from the point of view of ensuring that personal assistants get a proper all-year-round contract. Anyone who is aware of these issues will realise that they are working on term time, with all the issues that causes with social protection. They do vital work in engaging with those who require added supports to stay in third level education. That is a piece of work that absolutely needs to be done. The Minister, like previous Ministers, has visited my constituency a number of times. A huge level of work has been done by LMETB, but the regional skills centre is one thing that is not up to spec at the moment. The general idea from the Department is that the best-case scenario and what should be looked at in Dundalk is the idea of a college of the future. That is absolutely necessary. Then proper decisions could be made on planning for some of the ETB schools that are connected with the likes of O'Fiaich and whatever else. We can get an all-round solution that will work across the board. I have no doubt that the Minister will absolutely support the ongoing work as regards DkIT, which obviously did not become a technical university, TU, but has a memorandum of understanding. Between itself and Maynooth, there are a number of synergies and a coming together. It is the idea of a team that can become better than the sum of all its individual parts. We need to ensure that that happens. When the Minister and I attended BIPA, a number of speakers mentioned the need for a piece of work probably done, North and South, on ensuring that students, even with the difficulties that exist at the moment, which we need to deal with, are aware of the various courses that they can go to in the opposite jurisdiction. Now, do not get me wrong. I obviously will be absolutely delighted when we finally get to a place where it is a single jurisdiction, and I have no doubt that-----

Sentiment score: 0.16

That is it, and I would like to see the Minister have conversations with those within his party and his Government from a point of view of making sure those necessary pieces of work are done to make things better now and to prepare for that because there has been a lack of work done there.

Sentiment score: 0.80

I think I will finish up now. I would not like to go over time anyway, Chair.

Sentiment score: -0.14

No. There is still time on the clock.

Sentiment score: -0.15

I thank everyone for their flexibility. I ask the Minister to come back with the answers to those issues and I ask that we would get the answers in relation to the National Training Fund so we could make a determination. We all want to support, work and deliver.

Sentiment score: 0.49