Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I join others in congratulating the Ceann Comhairle and RTÉ on facilitating real innovation in the form of the Youth Assembly on climate action, which has presented a challenge to all of us. The Ceann Comhairle wants to bring forward the conclusions of that assembly for action. The recently introduced climate action plan contains a target to retrofit 50,000 homes per year by 2021. This is essential, particularly when one considers that half of our housing stock was built before the energy efficiency regulations were introduced. Irish homes are emitting 104% more CO2 than the EU 27 average. At the same time, we are in a housing crisis. We need to do two things, namely, build new houses and retrofit the existing housing stock. We need people if we are to do both.

The problem is there is a skills shortage, particularly in the construction sector. In 2015, fewer than half the number of builders identified staff shortages as a problem, whereas now the figure is 86%. Last year, there were just 127 apprenticeships in bricklaying and stonemasonry, while only 30 people registered as plasterers. Has the Taoiseach a plan to address the growing skills shortage, which will make the achievement of our objectives of solving the housing crisis, retrofitting houses and addressing the energy crisis, impossible unless we act decisively?

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