Society should back those 'fighting for the underdog'

Ireland should better cherish people in education and other sectors who are "fighting for the underdog", the governor of Mountjoy prison told an audience of early school-leavers yesterday.

In an address to mark the 20th anniversary of the Dún Laoghaire Community Training Centre, John Lonergan said lack of opportunity was the biggest obstacle to young people getting on in life, and this should be acknowledged by society.

"What angers me is that there are so many people who have forgotten their roots, with their ego and their vanity. We look down on one another. We never acknowledge that we would not be where we are today without one another.

"Not one of us can stand up and say we did it on our own. We should never forget that."

He was speaking at a special ceremony to honour the work of the south Co Dublin centre, which has given up to 2,000 early school-leavers a second chance at education and training. Supported by Fás and the local Vocational Education Committee, the centre offers a variety of courses from catering to parenting skills and psychological support.

Minister for Education Mary Hanafin was a guest at the graduation, which heard of a number of success stories.

Among them was that of Stephen McCann, who recalled that he joined the centre 13 years ago with "no ambitions, no confidence and no morale to do anything. I had this idea in my head that I had let everyone down."

But thanks to the centre's training courses he gained "confidence and self-belief". He also got qualifications which helped him land a job with National Toll Roads.

Now a busy entrepreneur, he recently opened a coffee shop in Sallynoggin, and has plans to buy property for investment in Lithuania.

Mr Lonergan told the latest 42 graduates at the centre to "keep fighting" against barriers in society.

"If you don't get in the front door, kick down the back door."