Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The continued availability of a well-educated, highly skilled and flexible workforce will be critical to ensuring the continued competitiveness of the economy and to enhancing social inclusion. Our labour market situation is favourable with forecasted 2006 employment growth of 4.4% and an unemployment rate of 4.4%. Total employment now exceeds 2 million for the first time in the history of the State.

The National Development Plan 2007-2013, published last week, recognises that continued investment in education, training and upskilling will be crucial in maintaining Ireland's successful economic performance. Investment in human capital will have an important role in promoting the development and competitiveness of the regions over the period of the plan.

Under the plan, €7.7 billion will be invested in training and skills development. This includes some €2.8 billion which will be invested in training for people in employment, new skills for those affected by industrial restructuring, expansion and enlargement of the apprenticeship system and school leavers. Almost €4.9 billion will be provided for training and employment to promote opportunities for a wide range of groups, including the unemployed, people with disabilities, lone parents and Travellers.

A key input into determining investment priorities in the coming years will be the findings of the expert group on future skills needs report, entitled Towards a National Skills Strategy and due for publication shortly.

In addition to supporting companies and workers at the point where redundancies are announced, FÁS and Enterprise Ireland are open to early intervention in supporting the training and upskilling of workers where the initiative is taken by the industry or sector. A recent practical example of an early special intervention, which offers a potentially useful model for the future, was one recently taken by the paper print and packaging industry. In the manufacturing sector generally, the establishment of the high level manufacturing group, as provided for in Towards 2016, will include among its deliberations the challenge of supporting the upskilling of workers in that sector. The members of that group have been appointed.

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