Dan Boyle (Green Party)

This is an important debate at a time of economic change and adjustment. During the height of the Celtic tiger, the economy perhaps relied too greatly on the construction industry. For example, some 14% of GDP was produced by the house building boom. Now we have a situation where fewer houses will be built and where those involved in the construction industry must seek either to regrade their skills or secure alternative employment. Thankfully, one opportunity already exists. Although some 50% of our housing stock was built since 1990, many of these properties were not constructed to proper energy standards. This presents a great opportunity to augment the skills of workers in the construction industry so that they can retrofit the existing housing stock to make it more energy efficient.

The Government has an important role to play in helping to implement the targets and objectives outlined in the national skills strategy. In particular, we must consider the changes required in the education system. I recently attended several events in Cork that gave me great heart for the future. One of these was an awards ceremony for participants in the Ballyphehane-Togher community development project. While there has been much talk of third and fourth level education, informal education in community settings is playing an increasingly important role in helping people attain basic skills, including literacy, communications skills and computer and information technology skills.

At this event, certificates were handed out by the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Carey. It was a joyous occasion celebrating those who had acquired particular skills in a community setting, a service that would not have existed ten to 15 years ago. Such projects are a welcome development in terms of providing basic skills education for people in their community. In the case of Ballyphehane-Togher, the project is also used as an education centre for workers from An Post who are located nearby. The links between community education, formal education and further education will be an important element in rolling out our skills strategy in the future.

The term "upskilling" is unsatisfactory. It is a question of adding to people's skills and putting those skills in a new context. People's skills are valid throughout their working lives. We must look too to reskilling people in skills that may have lost their practice. The second event I attended in Cork in recent days was the Irish Heritage Trust function arising from the announcement of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in regard to Fota House. Much of the restoration work involved in that project, including carpentry, plastering work, the restoration of windows and so on, involves skills that are fast disappearing. As well as teaching the new skills of information technology, we must look to reviving skills that have been lost. If we can make that marriage of convenience, I am confident the skills strategy will achieve its objectives.