Dáil debates

Thursday, 16 April 2015

12:30 pm

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

First, as I said, I am very happy to say the live register now stands at 10%, given that at the height of the crisis it reached 15.1%. The arrangements for helping people to find work have changed significantly. First, I am delighted to say apprenticeships have restarted, including in the wet trades in the construction industry. I met the CIF on a number of occasions in recent times to talk about the need to get the system of apprenticeships in Ireland under a revamped model going again. The Deputy may have seen that in recent times the ESB, Irish Rail, the OPW, Bord Gáis, eircom and a number of other major companies have all restarted apprenticeships, including in the skilled areas he mentioned. What is important is that we continue to build on this. The newly reformed Apprenticeship Council of Ireland has issued a request to interested persons, industries and businesses to bring forward proposals for additional apprenticeships and traineeships not covered by traditional apprenticeship skills. In countries such as Germany and Austria, for instance, the latter being a small country like Ireland, there is a range of apprenticeships available in retail to banking, administration and different areas of the technology sector. The model is extremely well developed.

I regularly meet people from industries in Ireland. We also have in the Department of Social Protection a labour market council of key employers. We will shortly move to an account management system of key staff in the Department who will connect directly with the 500 biggest employers in Ireland with a view to ensuring some of the vacancies that arise to be filled can be targeted and filled by persons on the live register. If we need to provide additional training or specific training to help them to fill those jobs, we are doing so. If the Deputy has a specific example in mind in County Kerry or the south west, I would be happy through the local Intreo office-----

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