Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I fully agree with the Minister's point about training and apprenticeship schemes in the manufacturing sector. The success of manufacturing after the Second World War was very much based around major investment in training and apprenticeship schemes. However, the Government should consider imposing measures to compel different sections of industry to improve themselves in this respect. In the construction sector, there has been a huge fall-off in the apprenticeship scheme. It has become a big problem so direct action should be taken. Even though the construction sector may be flat at the moment, it will not stay that way forever. We should therefore be imposing rules and regulations on the construction industry to come up with a framework whereby businesses are compelled to invest in apprenticeships and training.

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