Written Answers Nos. 173-192
173. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Education her Department's plans to tackle the shortage of teachers in primary and post-primary schools; her plans to incentivise the return of teachers from abroad; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20562/23]
View answerThe recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for individual school authorities, subject to procedures agreed upon under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).
The recruitment of teachers is a priority area of action for the Department given the importance of ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have available to them qualified, engaged, and supportive teachers to support them in their learning.
The Department is undertaking a comprehensive programme to support the supply of teachers, including:
• Additional primary substitute teacher supply panel posts have been provided in locations where significant challenges in sourcing substitution continue. This brings the total to 610 posts on 151 panels covering more than 2,840 schools, including the large majority of primary schools in Dublin.
• As a temporary measure, post-primary teachers can provide additional hours of substitute cover in the subject they are qualified to teach. The number of additional hours that can be taught per term has been increased from 20 to 35 for the remainder of the 2022/23 school year.
• For 2022/23, higher education institutions have introduced flexibility in the delivery of initial teacher education programmes to allow student teachers to provide more substitute cover.
• The Teaching Council introduced regulations allowing for the registration of 3rd and 4th-year undergraduate student teachers under registration Route 5 (Student Teachers). More than 2,700 student teachers have registered under Route 5 to date. This initiative supports the employment of student teachers to cover substitutable vacancies.
• A waiver of abatement for retired teachers returning to teach for up to 50 days in each of the three calendar years, 2021 to 2023 inclusive has been agreed with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. A communications campaign has also been launched to encourage retired teachers to take up short-term substitute positions.
• For the 2022/23 school year, job-sharing teachers may be employed to work as substitutes during the period they are rostered off duty and the limits on substitute work applying to teachers on career break have been suspended.
Measures targeted at supporting the long-term supply needs of the system have also been put in place
• At primary level, I recently approved 610 additional places on ITE programmes over the next two academic years (2023/24 and 2024/25).
• At post-primary level, the Department has increased the number of places on teacher upskilling programmes in mathematics, Spanish and physics. The programmes are delivered outside of class time and are offered at no cost to the teacher. Approximately 170 places were provided in the first intake across the three programmes with an increase in places to over 300 in 2023.
• A new programme for post-primary teachers to up-skill in Irish is planned for commencement in 2023/2024. The Department is also considering additional upskilling programmes in other priority subject areas.
• The Department introduced a scheme to allow post-primary schools to share teachers, the aim of which is to recruit teachers in high-demand subjects and give teachers a full-time teaching contract. It is expected that a pilot of the scheme will be introduced in a small number of locations for the 2023/24 school year.
• The Department provided details of the staffing arrangements for the 2023/24 school year to schools before the end of January. This will facilitate schools to begin recruitment for the 2023/24 school year earlier than in 2022.
Measures to incentivise teachers who are qualified abroad and those who are working abroad to work in Ireland include:
• Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) who qualify outside Ireland may complete induction (Droichead) in Ireland. Teachers must apply no later than 1 February 2024 to be eligible. This measure seeks to enhance the supply of NQTs available to schools and is particularly relevant for Irish teachers who have studied and qualified abroad and who may wish to return to the Irish education sector.
• As provided for in Section 4 of Circular 10/01, and subject to certain criteria, primary teachers are eligible to apply for the award of incremental credit in respect of teaching service given outside the Republic of Ireland.
• Following on from the Department’s Action Plan on Teacher Supply, the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) has developed a portal for the recruitment of teachers to long-term teaching positions. The portal will facilitate the matching of demand and supply and provide an efficient and user-friendly recruitment process for both schools and teachers, including teachers working abroad who wish to apply for posts here. It is anticipated that the portal will be available in the coming period.
In addition to the above measures, the Teaching Transforms campaign continues to promote the teaching profession and encourage students to follow a career in teaching. The campaign uses digital, radio and video media, and is supported by a dedicated webpage, www.gov.ie/teachingtransforms. It should be noted that CAO first preference choices for post-primary teaching have increased this year by 11%.
The Department meets on a regular basis with the school management bodies and the teacher unions on this very important issue and we will continue to work intensively with all stakeholders to develop and implement creative solutions to address the teacher supply challenges facing schools.
175. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if her Department will review the alternative education pathways and settings available for under-16s in the Clondalkin area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20569/23]
View answerThe report on the Review of the Out of School Education Provision was published by my Department in May 2022. The report is available at gov.ie - Out-of-school education provision (www.gov.ie).
An Implementation Group is established to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the report. The Implementation Group consists of representatives from relevant Government Departments, agencies and other key stakeholders, including officials from my own Department, Tusla Education Support Service, the National Council for Special Education, the Children's Rights Alliance and the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals.
The work of the Implementation Group is ongoing and is expected to conclude later this year. The work includes the development of a framework of support for students who are at risk of leaving mainstream education, the development of a referral framework for students at risk of becoming disengaged from education and the development of a set of minimum criteria to define the future governance, structure, accountability and education provision for the sector.
176. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education the progress that has been made on an extension for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20601/23]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers was approved funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. The project is devolved for delivery to the school authority and is being managed in two phases.
The project will provide a GP/Dining area, alterations to existing building,19x General classrooms, 7x SET rooms, 2x Meeting rooms, 1x DP Office, 3 Classroom SEN base, 1x Art Room, 1x Home Economics room, 1x Graphics room, 3x Science laboratories and 2 Preparation areas, 1x Construction studies /Preparation area, 1x Engineering room, 1x Technical Prep room, 3x Project store, and 1x Staff room.
The works on the first phase of the project involving the GP/Dining area was completed last year and my Department has received a Design Stage report from the school in respect of the second phase of the project. This report including queries raised by the school authority concerning the first phase of the project are currently being reviewed by technical officials in my Department.
My Department will engage directly with the school authority on the outcome of this review shortly.
177. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Education in relation to the cycle to work scheme, which is a tax incentive to encourage employees to cycle to work, if her Department currently offers this scheme to its employees; if she will confirm the reason a substitute SNA employed by her Department might not be entitled to avail of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20610/23]
View answerCircular Letter 0056/2020 deals with the Cycle to Work scheme operated by my Department. The scheme applies to school staff (including teachers, S.N.A.s, clerical officers, etc.) paid on payrolls operated by my Department.
Applicants under the scheme must be employed in a permanent, Contract of Indefinite Duration (C.I.D), fixed term, or Regular Part Time (RPT) capacity at the date of application. The employment must be capable of lasting until the salary sacrifice has been fully recouped. It is not possible for those paid solely through the On Line Claims System (OLCS) to avail of the scheme - for example: casual or non-casual employees, substitute employees covering maternity leave, parental leave, sick leave, etc.
178. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education if she is considering providing free or reduced cost school transport seats in rural areas where there are not sufficient pupils who meet the criteria for free school transport for a bus to be viable; if she is considering any other solution to this problem to ensure that as few pupils are arriving to school in private vehicles as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20625/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 147,900 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 4,500 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
For the 2023/2024 school year, reduced charges will apply, mainstream ticket holders will save up to €50 at primary and €275 at post-primary, with an overall reduction in the family maximum contribution of €525 compared to the fees for 2021/2022 school year. This reduction in fees is at a cost of €49m. Children availing of Special Educational Needs Transport and medical card holders eligible for school transport remain exempt from ticket charges.
A review of the School Transport Scheme commenced in February 2021. The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and to ensure that it serves students and their families adequately.
Significant consultation has been undertaken as part of this review. A public survey was administered for parents/guardians and students who use the service and those who do not use the service but who would like to. A broad array of stakeholders including schools, special education interest groups, industry representatives and other Government Departments were all consulted as part of this review.
While work on the review was impacted somewhat by the current conflict in Ukraine, and by the increased demand for the scheme in summer 2022 due to fees being waived, my officials are working to complete the review with recommendations on the future operation of the Department’s School Transport Scheme. Once approved by Government it is planned that the review will be published.
179. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education the position regarding any school in County Wicklow currently part of the pathfinder scheme, at any stage of completion and that seeks to fully retrofit older school buildings; the details of the work being carried out in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20633/23]
View answerMy Department and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications have developed a jointly funded school sector decarbonisation pathfinder programme. It is administered by the Planning and Building Unit in my Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland in partnership with devolved delivery support from Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board.
This pathfinder programme is paving the way for, and informing, a much larger national decarbonisation school sector programme.
This pathfinder is a great example of collaboration ensuring the deployment of new design approaches and technologies are introduced to the school sector on an evidence based approach. This programme continues to assist my Department to explore options and test various solutions for decarbonised energy efficiency solutions in our broad range of school building types.
It is facilitating research on a range of typical retrofit options for schools, which will be tried and tested. It is providing valuable development information for a solution driven delivery strategy which will be founded on a solid evidence base that has proven the robustness and scalability of renewable solutions within the school sector.
Each school undergoes a comprehensive assessment to ensure that the measures are suitable for that school and will deliver value to both the school and learnings for the national retrofit programme.
The works typically involves upgrades to the building fabric including wall and roof insulation, doors and windows, air tightness improvements, LED lighting and heating upgrades as well as renewable technologies.
This pathfinder programme has completed work to date in 48 schools across Ireland. Work is progressing in an additional 16 schools.
A Building Energy Rating (BER) of B is the targeted energy rating for these schools.
For Pathfinder 2023 one school in County Wicklow has been selected. It is Holy Rosary School in Wicklow Town (Roll number 17576B) and is in developed design phase.
180. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the accommodation needs for a school (details supplied); if this is under review by her Department; if the drawings and plans drawn up in 2010 for a new building within the school are still valid and actionable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20726/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no current record of receiving an application for additional accommodation from the school in question.
The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school’s accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by Teacher Allocation Section, or the requirement for a new class for pupils with special education needs has been identified by the NCSE, and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes.
It is open to the school authority to make an application for additional accommodation through the 'Additional School Accommodation scheme (ASA)' which is available at www.education.ie.
181. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education the options that are available for a school (details supplied) with regard to funding to provide an all-weather pitch within the school grounds; if any active applications from the school are under review in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20727/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school’s accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by Teacher Allocation Section, or the requirement for a new class for pupils with special education needs has been identified by the NCSE, and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes.
Funding for the provision of all-weather pitches does not fall under the ASA scheme. However, it is also open to primary schools to use their minor works grant to carry out improvement works to the school's infrastructure.
182. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education the total cost involved in emergency works for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20764/23]
View answerI would like to advise the Deputy that the school in question has received total funding of €218,013.77 for three separate projects under my Departments Emergency Works Scheme, in the period November 2018 to date.
183. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if access to a payslip for teachers requires the teacher to have a Public Services Card; her views on whether access to a person's own payslip is not a public service; the reason for the requirement for a PSC; and if access will be made available without having to have a PSC. [20767/23]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that pay slips are made available to teachers in two ways, firstly in paper format and secondly by accessing the pay slip electronically via the Digital Post-box.
The Digital Post-box service is available to individuals that wish to receive their communications from public service bodies electronically. This is a service offered on an opt in basis.
Access to electronic pay slips via the Digital Postbox was made available to primary school teachers on 27th April 2023 and will be available to post primary school teachers on 18th May 2023.
Any teacher who do not wish to avail of this service, can continue to receive a paper pay slip and are under no obligation to create an account or have a PSC.
184. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education the grant aid available for primary schools to develop play areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20787/23]
View answerIt is open to the school to make an application under the Summer Works Scheme. The purpose of the Summer Works Scheme is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works such as external environment projects, which, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school.
As part of it’s planning for 2023 and beyond, my Department's officials are working on the arrangements for the next phases of the summer works programme. It is envisaged at this stage that, a new Multi-Annual Summer Works Scheme with a focus on climate action and energy conservation will be opened for new applications later in 2023 for delivery of projects on a phased basis from 2024 onwards. Schools will be notified of the details of the Summer Works Scheme in due course.
185. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will extend a scheme (details supplied) for new applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20383/23]
View answerOver 9,000 people applied for the Basic Income for the Arts Pilot Scheme (BIA) last year, of which, just over 8,200 were deemed eligible. The BIA is a Pilot Research Scheme which will run for a three-year period 2022 - 2025.
The scheme is a pilot and is operating with funding for a maximum of 2,000 recipients of the payment who are receiving payment of €325 per week. 1,000 Control Group members are also participating in the research. As analysis of the results of participant surveys will involve a comparison of averages between the two groups, it is intended that participants selected in 2022 remain on the scheme for the full three years. It is not intended to invite new applications.
There were over 8,200 eligible applicants for the scheme, 2,000 of whom were chosen for payment through an anonymised random selection process. The selection process was overseen by EY acting as an independent verifier.
This pilot is a three-year research programme with the intention of providing an evidence base to assess whether or not this type of support works for the arts. The research involved will inform future Government policy in the arts and has the potential to change the landscape of the arts in Ireland and how we fund it.
The research will be looking at many different types of impact data from participants including the effect the payment has on their creativity, the amount of time they devote to the arts, their wellbeing, and their ability to earn additional income from the arts. The research can be followed on www.gov.ie/basicincomearts
186. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will report on the success of a pilot scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20384/23]
View answerThe Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) pilot was a key priority for me as Minister with responsibility for arts and culture. I see this scheme as an important intervention to support the arts sector recover after the devastation wreaked by the Covid pandemic. Covid highlighted both the precarious nature of working in the arts and the importance of the arts for us all.
The pilot was also the number one recommendation of the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce which I established in 2020 to examine ways in which to help the arts recover post pandemic. I was very pleased to have been able to deliver on this recommendation. Payments on the scheme have been ongoing to recipients since the end of October 2022.
The pilot scheme includes a research programme which will examine, over a three-year period, the impact of a basic income style payment on artists and creative arts workers. As such, evaluation will be continuous, including through a longitudinal study which will see participants surveyed every six months. The data gathered as part of the research will provide an evidence base around the impact of the policy.
The scheme is a randomised control trial which consists of two groups of randomly selected people. One will receive the basic income – the treatment group, while the other, – the control group, will not receive the BIA. Analysis of the results will involve a comparison of averages between the two groups. As the groups have the same characteristics at baseline and are large enough to be a statistically representative sample, any difference arising during the trial can be assumed to have been caused by the policy.
The research project is being undertaken by a group of economists and policy analysts who are all members of IGEES (the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service). In addition, the ESRI and IGESS will provide peer review support around methodology and research papers being produced as part of the project. Data collected will be made available to independent researchers should they wish to do their own research on related topics of interest.
187. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of applicants for the previous two rounds of the sports capital programme who were granted funding but did not draw down the grants fully, setting out for each round of the sports capital programme the number of grants fully outstanding, the number of grants partially drawn down, the number of grants fully drawn down and the total number of grants allocated, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20444/23]
View answerThe Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Over 13,000 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.15 billion. The Programme for Government commits to continuing the SCEP and to prioritising investment in disadvantaged areas.
Under the two most recent rounds of the programme, in 2018 and 2020, a total of 4,535 grants were allocated. The final grants under the 2020 round were announced on Tuesday 31 May last year and the total allocation of €166.6 million for the 2020 round represents the highest level of allocation ever made under the SCEP. The priority in the short term is to advance the successful applications to "formal approval" and grant drawdown stage. In this regard, it can take some grantees a number of years to fully draw down their grants due to the need to fully comply with the terms and conditions of the Programme. These requirements include the need to obtain a number of quotations for the work, complying with the legal requirements of the Programme and ensuring that all tax clearance requirements are adhered to.
A list of all allocations under all recent rounds of the SCEP is published on my Department's website at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/471ed5-sports-capital-allocations/
A full list of all payments made can also be viewed on my Department's website at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/efc6c4-sports-capital-programmes-payments/
188. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will provide an update on the status of all capital development plans, as provided for under the National Development Plan, Project 2040, in respect of each of the national cultural institutions; if there are any delays in securing sanction for any of these projects at the level of her Department or other Government Department; the projects she expects to see fully completed before 2030; the projects she envisages will not be commenced in the next three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20469/23]
View answer189. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her Department’s expected capital funds draw down for 2023, 2024 and 2025, in respect of projects relating to the national cultural institutions, as provided for in the National Development Plan, Project 2040; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20470/23]
View answer190. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the exact stage of development approval each of the national cultural institutions (details supplied) capital development plans are at; the number that are awaiting approval by her to proceed to the next stage; what that stage is in respect of each institution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20471/23]
View answer191. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount that has been spent on each national cultural institution’s capital development under the National Development Plan from 2018 to date; the amount that has been spent in each year to date; the anticipated spend in each year to 2030; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20472/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 188 to 191, inclusive, together.
As part of the National Development Plan, the Department is working with the National Cultural institutions and the OPW to deliver an ambitious programme of redevelopments at the National Cultural Institutions to ensure that these important heritage buildings are protected, their sustainability enhanced and the national collections are safeguarded for generations to come. Delivery of the projects is subject to compliance with the public spending code which include rigorous appraisal and design/planning stages to support the deliverability of the projects. Projects are managed on a pipeline basis with some projects at a more advanced stage than others. The following table sets out details of each of the projects, its current decision gate and drawdown to date. As the main construction contracts are not yet in place, expected drawdown on contractual commitments over the coming years is not available at this time. It should be noted that investments prior to the construction contract include extensive investigative works, planning, design and appraisal activities. Future allocations and spend will be decided in the context of the annual estimates process.
|
Project |
Project Description |
Public Spending Code Decision Gate |
Drawdown to date €000 |
Expected drawdown where construction contract is in place |
|
National Archives |
The Archival Repository Project will convert the large warehouse, located to the rear of the National Archives HQ at Bishop Street, to a secure environmentally controlled repository complying with internationally accepted storage standards while at the same time providing an increase of two-thirds in total storage capacity |
Decision Gate 2. Tendering |
2,191 |
N/A |
|
National Library |
Modernise the historic NLI West Wing as a transformative project which substantially enhances access to the NLI collections, the standards of its care and maintenance, the user experience of NLI visitors, and the conservation, appreciation and enjoyment of the Library’s historic building. |
Decision Gate 1. Phase 1 of project has already been completed |
2,803 |
N/A |
|
Abbey Theatre |
Replace the existing building with a new Abbey Theatre which will maximise the potential of Irish theatre artists and audiences |
Decision Gate 1. Preliminary Business Case |
247 |
N/A |
|
Natural History Museum |
Refurbishment of the Natural History Museum to address structural and environmental issues and provide a fit for purpose set of galleries and ancillary facilities. |
Decision Gate 1. Tender for integrated design team |
775 |
N/A |
|
National Museum, Kildare St. |
Refurbishment and upgrade of the Kildare Street complex |
Decision Gate 0. Preliminary Business case preparation |
47 |
N/A |
|
National Concert Hall |
Redevelop the entire Earlsfort Site including refurbishment and enlargement of existing main auditorium. |
Decision Gate 1. External assurance and planning application preparation |
8,100* |
N/A |
|
Crawford Art Gallery |
Redevelopment and modernisation of the Crawford Art Gallery |
Decision Gate 2. Detailed design and tender preparation |
3,895 |
N/A |
|
Chester Beatty Library |
Redevelopment and modernisation of the CBL |
Decision Gate 1. Preliminary Business Case review |
218 |
N/A |
|
IMMA |
Redevelopment of the full site at Kilmainham including a dedicated Collections and Learning Centre |
Decision Gate 0. Preliminary Business case preparation |
0 |
N/A |
|
National Gallery (NGI) Phase 4A |
Redevelopment and refurbishment of existing office space to modern standards and to include enhanced facilities for the Gallery’s education department |
Decision Gate 1 |
943 |
N/A |
|
National Gallery (NGI) Phase 4 |
Completion of Phase 4 of the NGI Masterplan. |
Decision Gate1. Final Business Case stage |
337 |
N/A |
*This includes funding for the redevelopment of the Kevin Barry rooms
192. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the progress, at the level of her Department, in relation to the creation of a digital legal deposit infrastructure to support digital collecting at the level of the national collection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20473/23]
View answerMy Department is continuing to work with the National Library of Ireland (NLI) on exploring the feasibility of expanding the NLI’s capacity to establish a digital legal deposit scheme to serve as a web archive for the .ie domain and that work is ongoing.
The NLI has completed a detailed review of relevant legislation and web archiving initiatives across all EU Member states. This information is currently being compiled into a summary report which will form the basis of engagement with relevant stakeholders which is expected to commence shortly by the NLI.
There are differing viewpoints on the introduction of digital legal deposit and I consider that it is important that we incorporate all viewpoints as far as possible, going forward.
