Dessie Ellis (Dublin North-West, Sinn Fein)
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I note Senator Rabbitte mentioned the dormant accounts. The fact that this is not funded properly is a big hindrance in terms of looking at it in the future. The long-term funding for TAP is very important. Is there any sort of legal requirement for employers - I know there is for people with a disability - to take on people who are marginalised, as is generally the case for a lot of people within the Traveller community? The mindset that is out there is one we have to overcome, but is there a legal requirement of any description? I was very disappointed to hear about the amount of take-up this year by different companies, which seems to be less and less. Is there some sort of a gauge on how this is spread out across the country in different areas? I know it is concentrated in ETBs or wherever, but is Cork different than Galway? Is there a big discrepancy? I saw in the past that Cork and other areas did not take up a lot of funding. Is there more emphasis in certain areas? I am curious about that.

If we look at apprenticeships in general, Dublin City Council has only really started apprenticeships again. It is very limited in the amount that it has. Thank God we are at last coming back around to the idea of employing labour in the local authorities, because that was privatised over the years. Maybe we will see that in other local authorities where it will open up the door for more apprenticeships. I know there are other areas such as the FÁS programmes. We have them in the Glasnevin industrial estate for women to do hairdressing and everything. There is competition there, in a sense. How do the witnesses find that? Does that have an impact, in any way, on the amount of people coming forward looking for apprenticeships? Is that a hindrance in terms of looking to get more apprenticeships? Is the employers' grant enough? It is approximately €3,000 or €2,000 to the employers. Maybe there needs to be more incentives for employers as well. I am not sure, but it seems quite low. Maybe that is another area.