Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Minister referred to Tús and the local development companies. My local development company in County Offaly has informed me that in respect of the recruitment of supervisors, for example, those who advanced themselves or who sought to better themselves by participating in departmental training in the year previous to their application are not allowed to apply. How can the Minister stand over this and how can local development companies be hamstrung by virtue of this fact? People were given a leg-up by encouraging them to participate in training and to further improve themselves and their skill sets, yet the Minister presides over a scenario whereby she will not allow anyone to take up a supervisory position because they tried to better themselves in the previous year.

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