Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for selecting this Topical Issue. I will take this opportunity to congratulate the Minister, his staff and the other organisations involved in the Harnessing Our Marine Wealth Conference that was held in Haulbowline last Friday. SeaFest at the weekend was a tremendous success and well attended. I was pleased to hear contributions from the European Commissioner with responsibility for marine issues.

Arising from the conference is the achievable aspiration of developing a far greater maritime, or blue, economy, one that could create an extra 29,000 jobs. I will focus on an idea that continuously arises in Castletownbere, which the Minister is well aware is the location of the Bord Iascaigh Mhara, BIM, regional training centre. I compliment Captain Shane Begley and his staff in the centre. They do an extraordinary amount of good work in preparing young men and women for careers at sea, particularly in the sea-fishing industry. I was pleased to see people like Mr. Declan Power qualifying for a full skipper's ticket in the past week or two based on the work that was done in Castletownbere. More of the same is required.

The college offers a FETAC level 5 course in marine engineering processes, covering vessel construction, main propulsion systems, auxiliary machinery, electrical systems, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, and health and safety and environmental modules, but we need to look beyond those. While there are many trades people, not just in places like Castletownbere, our fishery harbour centres and our ports, small and large, there is a considerable shortage of skills in the mainstream trades that could be adapted to working in the marine sector, for example, fabrication, hydraulics and electrics. I am referring to trades for which it might not be necessary to undertake full FETAC level 5 courses. Trades people could be slowly introduced into courses or modules that would not impact unduly on their own work but would qualify them to conduct some maintenance work, for example, in many ports and harbours.

This issue may be tied into the dearth of trades people in rural Ireland. One of the sad effects of the economic downturn was the loss of a generation from rural Ireland, and many from our ports and harbours. Places like Castletownbere have suffered due to the emigration of people with specific trades.

We could consider more nuanced education or trade studies. Captain Begley in Castletownbere is under tremendous pressure for resources and I would not be naive enough to suggest this would not need resources. It would eventually do so but it is time to start planning and reviewing how we deliver courses for trades to serve the marine industry.

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