Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

With the science, technology and innovation strategy, the national skills strategy will be a fundamental pillar of economic policy during the coming years. Both are essential for the country's competitiveness. The national skills strategy does not relate to FÁS alone. Rather, it is concerned with upskilling the workforce. We concentrated on the unemployed in previous decades, as we will continue to do, but the emphasis must move to upskilling those at work and increasing their qualification levels, for which there is a good appetite in the workforce.

FÁS will have a significant role in this regard, as will the institutes of technology, colleges of further education and education providers in general. We want to broaden this aspect. There is no point in reinventing the wheel or creating new programmes when there are existing resources in the education and training fields. Ireland will face a considerable challenge in terms of the upskilling agenda and all of the institutions, including FÁS, have a role to play and should compete to provide for the requirements of the State.

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