Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses. I am particularly interested in coach tourism. I often see coaches going around, doing things. It was great to hear that perspective. It was said that a coach gets 30 cars off the road. In the earlier session, there was the question of how we enable more people to access cars. There is obviously a transport issue. These are similar questions to the previous session but I did not ask the current witnesses. Hopefully it will not be too dull for them. The witnesses outlined coach tourism, the impact of our transport and it not being where it needs to be, whether that is due to quality of the roads or access. I made the point earlier that it is not just about transporting tourists to rural areas but also access for workers. Any worker I know from any rural area drives to work. I do not know a single person from outside the Pale who does not drive to work. When we talk about greening Ireland, there is a great opportunity here. We are known for our shades of green. There is a great opportunity to develop that to be a sustainable place to visit. What impact is the transport issue having on the witnesses' sectors, whether it affects getting workers or the requirement for workers to have driver licences, whether learner or otherwise? As we know, people are often required to have their own transport. If there is no impact on that, that is all right.

I will ask my questions and then am happy to hear the answers. Earlier, we discussed the impact on international protection applicants and people seeking asylum in many of our hotels and accommodation areas, and the need to manoeuvre them into more sustainable, suitable accommodation. A number of people who I have spoken to have found that requirement of being here for six months is a long time to wait to be able to work. We have many skilled workers, not just in the tourism sector but in many areas, who are currently languishing, which is the word that they have said to me. I am not applying that terminology to them, but they feel like they are languishing. Would reducing that to three months be beneficial to any of the witnesses' sectors? Has it come up in the witnesses' sectors that they are looking for workers and there are potential workers, but we are stuck with the six months? I know the visa delays have been shortened considerably and the Department is working on that. Has it come up at all?

We will debate a Bill in the Seanad this evening on apprentices, apprenticeships and various such things. The witnesses are from different sectors in the tourism industry. Some areas are probably better developed with regard to the apprenticeship model. I know there are two apprenticeship models. Have the witnesses any further thoughts on what the Government could provide for apprenticeships to help to support their sector? Those are the three areas and the witnesses can reply as they will.