Dáil debates

Tuesday, 28 June 2016

4:10 pm

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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9. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding he has applied for in the European Commission's New Skills Agenda for Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18292/16]

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Will the Minister of State clarify the situation relating to the European Commission's New Skills Agenda for Europe, what money has been applied for and how the process stands?

Photo of John HalliganJohn Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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The European Commission adopted its proposal for a New Skills Agenda for Europe on 10 June. It noted that all member states faced similar problems and opportunities with skills acquisition and development, the quality and relevance of the education and training available, including teaching standards, and learning in settings outside formal education.

The Skills Agenda for Europe proposal seeks to strengthen and, in some cases, streamline existing initiatives to better assist member states in their national reforms. There is no new funding available for this proposal. The EU has done much work on progressing the skills framework in the development of, for example, the key competency framework for lifelong learning, mutual recognition of qualifications, co-operation on vocational education and training, the European Alliance for Apprenticeships, student and academic mobility and co-operation, the Youth Guarantee and the Youth Employment Initiative. It provides the European Social Fund - €542 million for Ireland for the period 2014 to 2020 - and the Erasmus+ funding programmes to provide funding in support of its policies. These initiatives have assisted member states, including Ireland, in enhancing the relevance, efficiency and flexibility of our upskilling strategies and our labour markets to meet the challenges of increasingly competitive and globalised markets.

The proposal seeks a shared commitment to reform in a number of areas where European Union action brings most added value: improving the quality and relevance of skills formation; making skills and qualifications more visible and comparable; and improving skills intelligence and information for better career choices.

4:20 pm

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for the clarification but I understand that funding was made available in addition to the European Social Fund money, including, in particular, €21.2 billion for social inclusion and €30.8 billion for sustainable and quality employment. I understood this new initiative was launched to great fanfare in June given that, extraordinarily, 70 million people in Europe lack the basic skills of reading and writing. In Ireland, 521,550 adults cannot read at the most basic level. The figures for numeracy are actually worse. The proportion of one in six represents some improvement but there are still over 500,000 people who have difficulty understanding everyday texts. I understood from the fanfare announcement that there was extra money available. That is what I am trying to clarify, particularly given the skills gaps that exist.

Photo of John HalliganJohn Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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I acknowledge what the Deputy said. Some 70 million Europeans lack sufficient reading, writing and numeracy skills. Some 40% of the EU population lack sufficient digital skills, putting them at high risk of unemployment, poverty and social exclusion. On the other hand, 40% of European employers report that they cannot find people with the right skills to grow and innovate. At the same time, a large number of employees, particularly highly qualified young people, are working in jobs that do not match their talents and aspirations.

To answer the Deputy’s question, over the coming months the Commission will be making a proposal to reduce the high number of low-skilled adults throughout Europe. The initial proposal was made only on 10 June so there will be further communications with the European Union regarding funding.

The Commission is proposing that a skills guarantee be established in co-operation with social partners and education and training providers. This is exactly what will be done in Ireland over the next couple of months. The plan is to meet as many people as possible connected to education and further education, in addition to people who have taken themselves out of education and low-skilled employees who want to upskill. There is a plan, involving nine regional managers, that will be put in place shortly to deal with upskilling. Right now, the funding amounts to €542 million but we are in constant contact with the European Commission and other states to ascertain what funding will be needed to deal with the problems Ireland faces owing to low numeracy and literacy levels and underskilling.

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I would appreciate it if the Minister of State reverted to me on money and timelines. Some 65 million people in Europe have achieved a qualification less than the equivalent of an upper secondary school qualification. We can quote the figures but it is clear there is a crisis given the number who experience serious literacy and numeracy problems through no fault of their own. We need a programme to deal with that. When we do work on this, the figures actually improve, so we are crying out for a particular programme. If it was announced that there was extra money for social inclusion and sustainable quality employment, where is that money? If the Minister of State cannot tell me today, I would certainly welcome it if he could revert to me.

Photo of John HalliganJohn Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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Certainly, but the Deputy should not forget the Erasmus programme supports skills development, education and training. There is nearly €15 billion in that fund right across Europe. We get some funding from this. I am not too sure about the amount we get but I will most certainly revert to the Deputy on it.

There are also other funds, including the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, AIMF, and Horizon 2020, which relates to that agenda. I will revert to the Deputy over the next couple of weeks with all the details on all the funding and the particular areas it goes to, in addition to the planned objective for the strategy up to 2020.