Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have to get this right. My colleague, the Tánaiste, indicated most recently in his speech at the IBEC annual dinner his wish, my wish and the Government’s wish to be able to use this fund, an element of the surplus of this fund, to provide an additionality when it comes to skills provision in Ireland. As I have said, on my invitation the OECD is currently conducting a review of Ireland’s approach to skills planning and development. These and other developments will support further consideration of this issue, including skills priority or investment strategy and the role of the NTF. I intend that the Government would develop proposals within the year 2023 as to how we can better harness this within the context of the rules, the law and all the very careful considerations that need to be given.

In regard to training, training places and workforce planning, which are important points about which I feel strongly, we must do much better as a State in regard to workforce planning. At the same time, we cannot just reduce it to an issue of training because there are obviously issues in regard to recruitment and retention of individuals. In some areas we train many more than the European average. Training is absolutely an important element but not the only part.

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