Dr. Helen Johnston:

I would like to respond to some of the issues raised. On the different levels of education, there is significant emphasis on third level education, degrees and higher degrees because many jobs of the jobs available require these. However, we also need to look at more vocational type education and the jobs that might be available in that area. One of the issues that has come to my attention, which we have discussed a little, is the role of apprenticeships. We have limited apprenticeships here now whereas there would have been more opportunities in this area previously, such as in the building industry which has collapsed. A group has reported on this issue and a new kind of apprenticeship scheme is being put in place. This could contribute to addressing some of the gaps that exist. Apprenticeships do not exist only in the building industry, but in other sectors of the economy that require a more practical rather than academic application of skills.

A related issue is the role of social enterprise, which is not as strong here as in many other countries. There are significant advantages to social enterprise, though there is an issue of the commercial viability of social enterprises and the extent to which they can be supported by the state. These enterprises can provide an important service in certain communities and also provide a start-up in employment to people. One example I have come across of such an enterprise is the Flexibus system in County Meath, which takes people on as drivers who then train other drivers. The service provides community transport for people in various areas and it has now started up an associated company which will fix the buses and is taking on people to train them in skills to do this. This is just one example of a social enterprise, but we have an opportunity to think more about social enterprise and how it might work.

I wish to comment now in regard to ethnicity and housing, based on experience I have of what is happening in Blanchardstown where there is quite a large non-national population. While this is quite small on a European scale, there is a concentration of non-nationals housed in some housing estates in Blanchardstown which are almost all non-national housing. There are issues in regard to ability to speak English, such as parents being unable to speak English and being reliant on their school children to interpret for them and English not being the spoken language in the home. There is an associated issue of English language training and who should provide this.

This seems to be an issue that is shifted from one Department to another, but I understand it is currently within the remit of the education and training boards. However, they do not have the capacity currently to deliver the level and amount of training required. Therefore, the responsibility is falling on the local partnership companies and others to provide that training. They are not funded for that and must seek separate funding from European sources, which is restricted. There are gaps in this area. There is a demand for English language training, but it is not always available. There are reasons for this but if the issue is not addressed we could face the issue of generations of people becoming long-term unemployed and of ghettoisation, which is something we do not want. Therefore, there is some urgency in regard to identifying and addressing the issue.