Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the People Before Profit-Solidarity group for lending me time to contribute to the statements this afternoon.

I take this opportunity to welcome the additional places that the Minister, Deputy Harris, announced yesterday in medicine, nursing, midwifery and pharmacy. I congratulate the University of Limerick on its successful proposal for a new veterinary school in the region. It is a big win for the region for which I and many others in this House lobbied hard. I understand it is to build a new animal hospital on the campus, which will serve to protect the career for generations to come.

In talking about apprenticeships, I want to talk about west Clare and in particular to make the case for a new apprenticeship training centre of excellence to be set up in Kilrush town. The excellent Cooraclare Road campus provides FET courses through its vocational training opportunities scheme, VTOS, team in a wide range of areas, including healthcare childcare and business administration. It also does great work through its Youthreach programme. The missing piece in west Clare is with apprenticeships. We have a significant deficit of skills in the country with respect to trades. Communities like the one I represent in west Clare would greatly benefit from this kind of investment, which would secure a sustainable future for trades in the county.

At the moment the woefully low rates of apprentice pay cannot justify young people leaving west Clare to pursue an apprenticeship elsewhere. I express my interest and enthusiasm to work with both Ministers on this proposal, which would create a vibrant and sustainable future for trades in County Clare. I often hear about how vibrant Kilrush town was back in the 1980s and I would love to see it booming again.

See this speech in context