Mary O'Rourke (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for permission to raise this matter and the Minister of State, Deputy Devins, for coming in to deal with it.

I wish to raise the serious position of the 1,000 to 1,200 apprentices who have been made redundant. I do not know the exact number — perhaps the Minister of State has it in his brief but it is of that order — but the careers of these apprentices, who are awaiting their final certification, have been cut short mainly because of the economic downturn.

This problem knows no county border. It has occurred throughout the Twenty-six Counties. Young men, and some young women, set out on their careers as apprentice bricklayers, carpenters, electricians etc. through which they would get final certification. Once they had this certification they could travel the world and get a position because our certificates are recognised and approved by the European Union and further afield.

When we spoke here about a month ago on a similar motion on unemployment in general, I was under the impression that a scheme was just about to be put in place. However, a month has gone by and over the past two to three weeks many parents have come to see me about their sons — sometimes about their daughters — whose careers have been cruelly cut short because the construction or electrical firm to which they were apprenticed has folded. Through no fault of their own, the careers and training of these young apprentices have been cut short mid-stream and they are left with nothing, despite having completed up to three years' training.

I appeal for the scheme to be altered. The rules should be changed to allow the redundant apprentices continue their training. The State should in some way subsidise employers to keep those young people on their books and in all instances keep the training going so that the young apprentices would be in a position to go abroad with their qualifications, if they so wish. Many wish to go to Australia and if they had qualifications, they would get a job. However, if they go half-baked, they will not get one. It is important that the necessary subsidies or resources are provided to employers to retain apprentices so that they can finish their training.

Another aspect to this matter is that the strict rules of the system must change. Back in the early 1990s, the then Minister, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, and I brought in the new apprenticeship system which worked well in times of plenty. However, in times of downturn, it is not working because the young guy or girl is put out of his or her training and made redundant with nowhere to turn. I rest my case.

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