Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I think there is and this is certainly an area we are looking at. We are working with the Department of Social Protection. For example, in the area of construction, the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and I have partnered with the Construction Industry Federation, CIF, to do exactly as the Deputy said in respect of identifying people who may be seeking employment and wishing to be employed and to be able to team them up where there are vacancies in the economy. I refer in particular to the area of construction, where we know we cannot build enough homes fast enough. There is real pressure in this area.

As the Deputy will know, some of these challenges arise from living in a country with full employment. I saw figures today showing that unemployment here now stood at below 4.5%. I think it is 4.4%. This is a long way from when the Deputy and I entered a Government led by former Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, in 2011. This shows the journey the country has been on and the bounce back that the economy has seen from an employment perspective, despite shutdowns, pandemics, the impact of Brexit and war, and the hugely positive impact of employment in the economy in Ireland. There is also a broader issue around adversity and showing our young people a variety of ways of getting a career, including through apprenticeships and further education and training.

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