Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Bruton and I appreciate that. It is heartening to see the increase in numbers of people opting to work in the construction sector. There are still a number of concerns. Only 9% of people working in the sector are women and we can do a lot more than that, if we look at other countries beyond the EU who have done so much to incentivise women into the trades and onto building sites. There are particular projects that are a culmination between Intreo offices and Dublin City Council which are a real template for other local authorities to follow around the country in terms of encouraging apprentices but also working again with the Minister, Deputy Harris's Department in terms of training. There are advanced and very clear technological solutions within construction to maximise the potential for more efficient practices within construction, using the latest and most efficient form of machinery to develop that. That requires skills and skills are the key to everything for a small open economy like Ireland. We need to ensure we reward highly-skilled, highly-trained workers with minimum salaries like in the SEO that are reflective of their talent, but also with the opportunities to access that continuous training. That requires bringing together the construction sector with the education and training boards and other State bodies to ensure certification and qualifications are not just a one-time thing. We want to ensure that someone does not simply do a four-year apprenticeship and enter the workforce for the next 30 or 40 years but will constantly upskill and up-train. Harnessing those new and growing technologies offers the greatest level of potential and opportunity for people within the sector.