Mr. Tom Parlon:

The question was a good one. It was about encouraging a culture of entrepreneurship, from which we are moving a little. People want to be professionals and part of large companies. There are many reasons for this such as pension schemes, early retirement and being able to do all sorts of things. We should return to encouraging that culture of entrepreneurship, but the question is how to do it. Some of the roadblocks need to be removed. If one takes a risk, one must receive some allowance for taking it. Self-employed persons work extremely long hours and there is no overtime, for example. In our industry we very much embraced diversity. While we are diabolical in getting women to work in the industry, we have superb role models. Tomorrow evening in a local hotel there will be an event for women in construction, at which some of the superb role models who work well in the industry will tell their story. That is one way by which we are trying to spread diversity.

We must encourage the culture of entrepreneurship across the board. We have our own challenges and must compete with every other sector, which is a challenge. I mentioned the additional 1,000 people every month, but we have exhausted nearly all of the low-hanging fruit. Yesterday morning I flew to Amsterdam on a work trip to look at Dutch house design. As I walked through Schiphol Airport, which is a massive place, I was smiling because three separate people said "Howya, Tom." It was like walking down the main street in Birr. It was because the Aer Lingus flight had just arrived and construction guys were heading off to go about their daily business. We are involved in an international business, but, as Mr. Doheny said, we should encourage people to acquire the skills here.

If someone becomes a qualified electrician or tradesman, he or she has the opportunity to go on to third level, but that presents a difficulty. If he or she is not in a position to do so, his or her employer or parents will have to put their hands in their pocket to fund it. If someone automatically decides to fill in the CAO application form, there will be a college place for him or her somewhere, he or she will have a wonderful five or six years in college and come out with a degree, but he or she will then start having to learn how to work. If someone chooses to enter into an apprenticeship scheme, he or she will have to find an employer, fund himself or herself and get to work every morning. It is a tough grind, but it is certainly worth it. How do we promote it? We should make it a little easier for young people to do it.