Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

What Ms King describes is similar to the intent of our Bill. In its absence, the WRC provides exactly that multi-stakeholder mediation service. That is why I support it. I attended a conference organised by ICTU in Tullamore some months ago. Congress presented analysis it had undertaken that there were potentially 20,000 jobs in retrofitting. The committee agrees this has to be done. At separate meetings here and at other committees, there has been a clear understanding that in that sector, no training or apprenticeships or any scale of delivery of retraining or new workers is being brought forward. I cannot recall who mentioned Athlone as a centre similar to what had been done in the Ruhr valley in Germany. Has anyone considered this or discussed with Athlone Institute of Technology a radical change or upgrade of its programmes, training or apprenticeships? This is craft work. It requires particular skills training and development. In the work ICTU has done regarding Athlone, have there been discussions with Athlone Institute of Technology? I have placed the examination of our education system on our own agenda as it is not fit for purpose for what we must do.