Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

We are providing a complementary number of initiatives, for example, internships and graduate placement, an activation measure which can be Government sponsored or otherwise.

We also have our community employment schemes. The Minister of State and I have been evaluating whether that can be expanded, one way or the other, and how that can be done, with the premise that it is an activation measure as opposed to an employment measure.

We are aware of the issues appertaining to schemes like this. The focus is specifically not on the issue which, unfortunately, can be entangled in a work fair type of idea. That is not necessarily where we are going. We are looking at training, re-training, internship and those types of opportunities for people with an array of skills.

There are situations whereby my Department's State agencies do not provide new retraining. There are institutes of technology, universities, PLCs, and VTOS. There will be a suite of measures in place which will be client focused.

The question on SR Technics was out of order but I will refer to it anyway. I met with the unions. I indicated that IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland who have brought in expertise in aviation are in a position to facilitate any company.

I have spoken to the CEO of the company just before I came into the House. I indicated to him that there are a number of people who have expressed an interest in the company. He is aware of that and he has stated, although timing is of the essence, that he and the company would have no difficulty in working with the State agencies to facilitate any opportunity to sustain employment in the north Dublin area.

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