David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I have just a few brief questions. In 2019, a casual trading and occasional licensing Bill was promised. There has been no sign of that legislation since. I raised the matter with the Minister recently and he said he would look into it. The legislation relaters to local markets and casual trading. There are a few anomalies in the current system. A review at the time proposed that the Department update the relevant Acts. Are there any plans to move that legislation forward or has it been scrapped? This issue impacts on single traders, farmers markets and a small businesses that sometimes struggle to make ends meet.

The witnesses referred to the statement that the Department is contributing to and leading on ten sustainable development goal targets. What are those ten goals and how is the Department doing in achieving them?

The committee recently received a briefing from IBEC on the National Training Fund. From memory, it told us there is approximately €1 billion in the fund. It made a number of recommendations on establishing a national training voucher scheme under the National Training Fund, which were linked to the need to keep upskilling. I am aware that another Department administers this scheme but the officials are obviously aware of the fund. Does the Department have any plans to link with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to use some of that money, which seems to be just sitting there? Businesses are paying into the National Training Fund and the amount in the fund will further increase in the years head as a result of the fantastic success we are achieving with businesses and in employment.

To go off the reservation slightly, a lot of businesses are doing extremely well. I was at the AGM of the Open Doors Initiative recently and a comment was made that a healthy society equals healthy business. Many businesses want to contribute towards addressing the ills of society, such as they are, but do not know how to do so. I wonder if we could link those two together. For example, if a business wants to do something to help in the local community, how can it do so without standing on toes? I spoke with some businesses which are interested in doing this but they do not know who to contact and how to make it happen. This can make a difference in sporting clubs and other voluntary organisations which are crying out for money, land, premises and so on. Some large businesses could contribute. The Open Doors Initiative is one way of doing so. The various diversity initiatives are another. Maybe this is a conversation that needs to be started with some large businesses and corporations.

When we discussed disability recently, I asked about the various funds and whether employers were aware of them and are being encouraged to take them up. We must consider also refugees and asylum seekers. This links to the many employers who say there is a lack of workers and they cannot get workers. I hear this from many employers I meet and I am sure my colleagues hear the same. Employers cannot get workers and it is a big issue. As the Department indicated, the unemployment rate is between 3.5% and 3.7%, which is virtually full employment. We have a whole cohort of people available, including asylum seekers and refugees. For example, we have 80,000 Ukrainian refugees here. Many of them are women with children who receive social welfare payments. If they work, even part time, they would lose those payments. Is there a way of allowing them to work? People on disability payments can work for a number of hours a week and retain their payment. Maybe something could be done in that area.

Perhaps a cap could be applied once their income reaches the living wage or minimum wage. It would appear there are a lot of people in this situation. I recently met a lad from Ukraine who was an architect out there. He showed me some of his work, which was absolutely amazing. I have never seen anything like it but he cannot work here. There is a whole cohort of people who could work. Language barriers may need to be overcome but that can be done.