Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Government's acceptance of the motion put forward by Deputy Thomas Byrne. We all know of the invaluable role played by AnCO many decades ago in producing some of the best qualified block layers, electricians and carpenters. We must do something to make this an attractive career path again. There is a housing crisis yet builders tell us they cannot get people to do the work. We need some kind of incentive to make these jobs attractive again. Given my background in agriculture, I know we had the farm apprenticeships scheme but even that is under pressure. We need to get people who are prepared to do this kind of work by making it attractive for them.

I would make one suggestion. We see the universities trying to bring in students from abroad to fill spaces. Will the Department consider that other nationals would come to this country to take up apprenticeship courses? There is a big deficit at present. I ask that these areas be considered.

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