Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

I did not ask this question simply because of a particular problem in my own constituency. I want to highlight a more general issue. People with skills should be used to train others and provide them with opportunities in other parts of the construction industry. It is time we reviewed the issue of training apprentices. It is an educational rather than a FÁS issue. The Minister of State should take money from FÁS, transfer it over to his Department and let it carry out the training. Practical training can be done in-house, so there is no need to have a complicated means within which somebody becomes a carpenter, cabinet maker or block layer. Somebody should be able to do that in college, just like in any other post-leaving certificate course or degree. People should be given the opportunity to qualify in their skills area.

We should not have a ridiculous situation whereby somebody has gone half way through his or her training but cannot continue because his or her sponsor employer has gone out of business. That is no way to deal with education. I thank the Minister of State for his positive indication about Dún Laoghaire but outside that, it is time to transfer funds to his Department from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to let people qualify in the same way a doctor would qualify.

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