Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Manufacturing has been an important sector in Ireland since the 1960s when it was ramped up. However, there has been a noticeable decline in employment in the sector in recent years and, in fact, dating back to the 1980s. There has been a similar trend across the developed world; other industrialised countries such as Germany, the USA, the Netherlands and Korea have experienced similar rates of decline. Employment in the sector in Ireland suffered a major shock between 2008 and 2010 when approximately 50,000 people lost their jobs. However, in 2011 and 2012 there was a net increase of 3,700 jobs in the sector and that trend is continuing. Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland figures show that 211,100 people are directly employed in the sector. Nonetheless, there is undoubtedly a challenge around skills availability, something the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, is addressing. In terms of-----

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