Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If there is one part of the country that has seen the benefit of the new Department, I hope it is the Deputy's county, constituency and city of Waterford. We had a good week this week and I thank the Deputy for his work on that. We did not have a university for the south east when he entered the Dáil or when I entered this role. We have worked together on a cross-party basis and in government to get there. There has also been the expansion of the Waterford Crystal site. That shows what we can do when we put a focus on issues, particularly for the regions.

I warmly welcome the announcement of the European Year of Skills. This is a year that kicks off from May, which might be a little peculiar. For the rest of us the year kicks off in January but the year of skills kicks off in May so we still have time to get a good programme in place. The European Year of Skills is a welcome opportunity because it puts skills on centre stage. It also gets us at a member state level to start thinking about what we can do to showcase what is good and challenge ourselves from a policy perspective about what more we need to do. The aim is to ensure people get the right skills for quality jobs and to help companies, particularly small and medium enterprises, to address skills shortages. The year will showcase skills development opportunities and activities right across Europe and will bring organisations and people together to share their experience and insights. It is an opportunity to signpost where people can go for skills development and what has happened when people have undertaken that.

The objectives of the European Year of Skills align with the work we are already doing as part of our core business in my Department to ensure individuals and businesses are offered supports and pathwats to quality education, upskilling and reskilling opportunities. Changes in the world of work, including the digital revolution, some of the issues we have been discussing and climate transformation, place a premium on supporting individuals and companies to make this transition. In 2022, I commissioned a review of the implementation of our national skills strategy and I am pleased that it will be published during the European Year of Skills because it will place a domestic focus on this as well. These will be some of the key themes from my Department, that is, the implementation of that report and looking at areas of focus around short flexible blended skills development.

Specifically on what we can do, we are having an event with stakeholders on 9 May. I intend to organise a skills summit and will work with the education committee on that. I would also like to see if the Dáil is agreeable to using Dáil time for a debate on skills and the European Year of Skills.

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