Mr. Leo Clancy:

I will address those two points, starting with the workers' rights and pay and conditions elements of the Deputy's questions. As she said, it is clear we do not have a direct role in this space, but we work with employers across the board every day of the week. My experience is there is high awareness of the need for continually improving pay and conditions. We are in a very competitive labour market. The Deputy will have heard in my opening comments that labour and skills remain one of the two major issues for employers at present, if inflation and supply chain challenges are included as the other. In that context, employers are very aware of the need for competitive pay and conditions. At the same time, the workers' rights agenda is very much the domain of our parent Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. It is certainly something that is focused on and, from an employer point of view, it is very much considered. Where we give support to employers through capital or other types of grant, we always looks at the cost-benefit analysis and value for money to the State of those investments and, within that, is a consideration of the level of pay for the job. There are a number of areas where we contribute to this although it is not our core area of responsibility.

The upskilling of workers for the labour market is critical. Everywhere I have gone, and for every employer I have met in the eight months I have been in this job, there is a very strong focus on skills as well as labour. Employers know that in order to retain and attract people they need to provide a lifelong learning environment. I have seen some very good examples of this in, for instance, engineering settings, where we have automating of processes for welders whereby people can add skills in software and automation to their core skills. They continue to maintain the trade they had but also to upskill themselves in new areas. I have seen a couple of very good examples of that in recent months. Both points are very important and the upskilling piece is certainly a focus.

We also work very closely with SOLAS, the national further education body, on programmes that can be relevant to employers. We work with Skillnet Ireland, which works with a number of business associations, to ensure we have skill pathways for workers to come back into work. There is lots of positive work happening in that space. Labour and skills is certainly an area that will need to continue to be focused on.