Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Minister has a sectoral analysis been carried out of skills shortages in the economy for the next five, ten, 15 and 20-year periods and the impact skills shortages are having on Irish competitiveness levels. The Minister will have seen the most recent report where we are now burning at an alarming rate through our competitiveness advantagesvis-à-visour international competitors. This is a worrying development that has just been announced in the context of Ireland dropping in the competitiveness stakes. The issue of skills shortages is something that has to be confronted because there are skills shortages now in major areas of the economy, such as agriculture, transport and hospitality, and climbing up the chain of the economy, we have skills shortages across almost every sector.

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