Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Since I was a young lad I heard automation would do away with all the jobs, and I am not that young anymore. What it has actually done is change the jobs but not done away with them. We have more jobs in the economy than there were in the 1960s. Automation is great. It takes away many boring jobs, but it does not do away with jobs, which is good.

Is there any plan in the Department to publish a comprehensive cross-sectoral policy approach to this so that there would be a comprehensive, as the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment said, all-embracing and cross-departmental approach to labour shortages? As I said, in the final analysis, we will have to look beyond the European Union for skilled people who might be interested in coming here. Without a detailed and comprehensive plan, it seems it will not be possible to look at all of the ways of dealing with this interesting issue in the economy, but it is one that we need to deal with urgently.

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