Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 4 July 2013

Public Accounts Committee

2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 17 - European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
FÁS Financial Statements 2012
National Training Fund

12:50 pm

Photo of Kieran O'DonnellKieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not particularly want to be average. I think we can design programmes to meet the needs of individuals. From the surveys conducted on the former Dell employees, a significant proportion of the 2,600 former employees had an education standard of junior certificate or less. One would like people to get to the point at which they could do third level degrees. However, such an aspiration was not compatible with the profile of people who had worked in Dell. These people wanted to work.

We need to have an overall rethink on education. Third level degree level education is only part of the spectrum of education. Let us consider the educational system in other countries. Germany is a powerhouse in terms of manufacturing. Germany has a traditional third level education system but in addition it has a crafts and an apprenticeships stream, in which people are being trained while working in jobs. That is one of the reasons it has kept its manufacturing base. I am well aware that Italy and other countries refunded 60% or more of the funds they received. My hope is that we will spend all the money that we get from Europe. I ask Mr. Ó Foghlú to comment on the application process.

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