Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is a well known fact that we have one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Europe, at approximately 25%. If we take into account the thousands who have been forced to emigrate, the figure would be well over 30%, which is unacceptable as we are letting down a large cohort. This represents a major potential long-term loss to society. We must acknowledge that young people are our greatest resource. Every effort should be made to facilitate and channel them into training courses that properly meet the demands of industry. This will involve upskilling and reskilling to respond to the needs of the economy in general. We must also provide incentives and encouragement for the many emigrants we have lost in order to attract them back to Ireland. The experience they have gained will be valuable for the country's future. If we do not develop the right skills, employers will begin to question why they have set up shop in this country. This is already happening and in vogue. It is apparent that we must boost the number of people with intermediate skills, as opposed to those with university degrees, if we are to fill the gaps in the labour market and provide good and sustainable jobs for the long-term unemployed. Co-ordination and cohesion are required between, for example, the Departments of Social Protection and Education and Skills.

I am sure they are working together, but this must be brought to a higher level, to include, in addition, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. There is a huge shortfall in the number of computer programmers in this country. The courses in universities are not adequate to meet the demands of modern industry, with outdated technologies and so on being taught. We need to get our act together and ensure we produce graduates who are able to avail of sustainable job opportunities.

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