Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Many of the recommendations made actually cut across measures that are being implemented anyway. It is unfair to suggest that the Government is not engaging proactively with the recommendations. It acknowledges wholeheartedly the role played by the chairman and individual members in bringing forward these recommendations. I can tell the Deputy that, internally, there is no sense of lethargy about engaging properly. However, he must acknowledge that if one is to take all the recommendations, of which there are at least 69, one must have some sort of process to ensure the State agencies can respond and that there is an interdepartmental response.

As I outlined already in my initial reply, the Government has launched the local enterprise offices, which will cut across a lot of the recommendations made. Similarly, the ICT skills strategy will cut across a lot of the recommendations that were made, as will the review by Forfás on mentoring. Consequently, there is no sense that the Department is not engaging with the recommendations. I assure the Deputy and those people who have been in contact with the Deputy and who may have expressed concerns that the Government is absolutely and utterly intent on ensuring that the national policy statement will reflect the views put forward and the recommendations proposed.

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