Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is having a busy day with the school tours. I join with him in welcoming the second group of sixth years from Newtownforbes national school. They are very welcome to the Dáil.

The Deputy is right. What he read out with regard to its last meeting is an indication of the valuable work done by the National Skills Council. Away from the day to day stuff, it provides the council with an opportunity to scan the horizon and look at the changes that need to be brought in in the months and years ahead. My initial reflection from that meeting would be that the whole-of-government approach is absolutely key. We have a Department now that did not exist a number of years ago and we have it thanks to the Tánaiste. It was his view that we should create a Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. I hope that during that time it has shown its value and I think it has in many areas. However, the actual skills agenda is going to involve all Departments, whether the Department of Education, early years education with ECCE and the Department of Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth or the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. It is about how we live and how we work. There is also the Work Life Balance Bill. There are so many different areas here that need to pull togather. The skills council has representatives from across government and across agencies to try to have that whole-of-government approach. That will be key to the success when the OECD report is concluded.

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