Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I share the Deputy's view that mentoring could play a role in procurement. To be fair, InterTradeIreland has run an innovative programme in this regard. One of its most popular programmes helps companies to prepare for procurement, understand how to gain access and go after that business. I do not have data to indicate the success of the programme, but I know there has been a high rate of participation. InterTradeIreland is turning people away. This North-South programme is not confined to Border regions; it has been run in various counties.

As the Deputy probably knows, we have established our own forum on manufacturing to look at areas where we can improve our offerings and approach. It is due to report before the end of the year. If we are to make manufacturing smarter, we have to have better processes, innovation and skills. It is the same agenda that the European Union is developing. In terms of implementing it, obviously the European Union hopes these industrial policies will set flagship directions which will influence Horizon 2020 and the European Social Fund in terms of training. It is hoped they will shape the way European Union money is used in member states.

We would see the same. There is an opportunity with the establishment of SOLAS, which is the new training body that is taking responsibility both for PLC-type training in the VECs and for traditional FÁS training, to take a more strategic look at sectoral needs. Manufacturing is one sector where there are opportunities and which has started to grow again. To take one example, I was told at the plastic manufacturers association conference of skill shortages in that area. This is not a high-tech issue and is an area where we should be capable of matching provision within our system of ITs and VECs to the need. We need to get more of that type of matching into our training provision.

This is the sort of thing Commissioner Tajani's efforts are designed to achieve, namely, to identify the headline directions where there are opportunities and try to get member states designing programmes to do that successfully.

Clearly, Germany has a big edge with its very long tradition of apprenticeships, traineeships and companies making spaces available for that sort of renewal of skills. We need a catch-up in that area. I expect it will be these sorts of areas, for example, the application of technology, the upgrading of skills and the improving of process, that will come out of our own exercise. It is very similar at the European level and we have to try to match the policies to that.

Horizon 2020 focuses specifically on the commercialisation of business so one of its three themes is excellence in research but also the whole of commercialisation and spin-out. The KETs, or key enabling technologies, are reflected in Horizon 2020. For example, Crann in Trinity College, which deals with nanotechnology, would be getting FP-7 money for what are exciting technologies that are changing products in very simple ways. There is a lot of spin-out.

The one programme aimed at smaller business is the COSME programme, which is a specific instrument, although, as I say, it is aimed more at small business than at manufacturing. It will be examining areas such as financial instruments but the budget is tiny - just €2.5 billion - which must be divided among 27 member states and then divided by five over the five years, so one can see how small its impact will be in any individual country.