Mr. Paddy Lavelle:

I will answer the general question on flexibility and impermeability, that is, the difficulty in a person’s passing from one course to another when his or her skills are no longer required in the economy because he or she already has a high skill level that prevents them from doing so. We do not know the impact of the BTEA rules or the 2020 allowance. Although we are not certain what factors cause a drop or reduction, individual learners tell us situations are caused by the existing rules. Given that we need rules, how do we get around the problem? How do we make exceptions? Senator Hildegarde Naughton mentioned exceptions being made in particular circumstances, which is a difficulty, not so much for us but for the Department of Social Protection or Education and Skills. All the rules are in place for a particular reason, to encourage people to continue on the cycle of returning to education and upskilling, and they have an impact on those who are unable to work using a particular skill and want to retrain. The issue often arises in our discussions because people return to us who want to be reskilled but for whom these barriers are in place.

I thank Deputies Gerard P. Craughwell and Michael Conaghan for their praise for the historical achievements of the sector. We are proud of our history and the fact that we have credibility and the confidence of those who come to us for our courses. We provide courses not just in the colleges of further education to which Senator Gerard P. Craughwell referred but also at community level through community education and adult literacy programmes into the training centres. We are very proud of the courses provided. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice referred to the pride people trained by AnCO had in the training courses and it is equally the case for those who have trained in our training centres. They take great pride in the standard they have reached.

Members have also mentioned the length of time training takes. It takes time to develop serious skills. Members probably referred to upskilling in an area such as heavy welding or other short courses developed to build on existing skills. There is a view about whether they were sufficient. The ordinary courses for developing initial skills are adequate. They are at the same level as the former AnCO programmes and people gain serious skills at a very high level in our training courses.