Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The development of a regional economic strategy means that in the case of Kerry, for instance, we will see the Kerry Technology Park expanded and developed. There are a lot of IT-type industries and technologically-based service businesses which will be attracted to Kerry. The chambers of commerce in the county, including the Tralee chamber, members of which I met with recently in the town, have very ambitious plans and are working with IDA Ireland to achieve them. The latter now has regional officers in place, rather than having people from Dublin coming down occasionally. The regional officers are there to attract industrial, business and commercial development and foreign direct investment into areas like Kerry and the regions in general.

Another important aspect of our work in this area is our use of the embassy network, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland to make contact with the emigrants, many of whom are very young, who went abroad when times were difficult. Now, having worked abroad, they could well fill the vacancies that have arisen here in a context where some areas are actually experiencing a skills shortage. All along the western seaboard, we are seeking to engage with people who emigrated but now want to return home. This is a very important part of public policy. Emigrants are beginning to return home in significant numbers and recruitment companies are focusing very specifically on them.

My colleague, Deputy Arthur Spring, has been involved in a number of Kerry-based initiatives to draw foreign direct investment into the county, build on what is there already, and develop the Kerry Technology Park and the Institute of Technology, Tralee so as to have a complementary development of courses at both technician and graduate level. In regard to apprenticeships, I certainly hope we will see, under the education and training boards and with the support of SOLAS, an increase in the number of apprenticeships across the country. For the 20% or so of our young people who do not want to go down the third level route directly, apprenticeships, traineeships and work experience are a very valuable way of getting them into employment. It is greatly to be welcomed that youth unemployment has fallen very significantly nationally.

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