Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I will try to pick up the thread of my thoughts. In the context of the formation of the Council of Europe, the Council of Europe Development Bank, established in the mid-1950s, has been doing extraordinarily positive work. I think I am correct in suggesting that this is the first legislation to come through this House that has a specific reference to the Council of Europe and to a Council of Europe institution. If it does nothing else at least it will raise a certain awareness, a point to which other speakers have alluded.

Countries like Sweden, Italy and Germany, which one would not normally associate with social and economic disadvantage, have benefited to some degree from funding through the Council of Europe Development Bank. Will Ireland now be in a position to benefit or did we always have this right if we wished to put forward an application?

I was particularly struck by the reference to Germany. The German experience relates to the key role of vocational training in the fight against unemployment. The programme has involved over 7,000 small and medium sized enterprises and led to the creation of over 10,000 apprenticeships. I am no expert in this area but I am aware that concern is regularly expressed about what appears to be a diminution in the number of apprentices and apprenticeship courses here. For example, I understand that in Sligo IT a number of apprenticeship courses have been abandoned. Anecdotal evidence would suggest that this area has been somewhat neglected here in recent times. Anybody who has needed the services of a carpenter, plumber, painter or decorator in recent years will know how difficult it is to find one.