Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the context of mapping the journey for people who are short-term unemployed, the whole problem - if one actually exists - seems to come down to communication. It never ceases to amaze me that we cannot get matters right in that regard, particularly in view of the fact that communications courses are on offer at many colleges. Will our guests indicate what aspects it was necessary to change most urgently? Was the collaboration between Intreo offices and the ETBs ineffective? It was stated that more must be done in this regard. As Deputies O'Dea and Catherine Byrne stated, it is necessary to obtain the right fit. Why can people not return to education? I reiterate what I have stated on many occasions with regard to the development of apprenticeships. There are people who learned skills when they were employed, and these are not being used at present. There are 28 types of apprenticeship on offer in Ireland, whereas in Germany the number is 328. The ETBs have a major role to play in the development of apprenticeships. When Mr. McKeon refers to 48,000 young people who are unemployed, to whom is he referring?