Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader to consider having a debate on the skills shortage in Ireland. Today the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation was visited by FIT, the fast-track for skills in high-tech businesses organisation, which made a presentation on creating a better Ireland by competing with skills. It was interesting to note the problems we have created for ourselves.

There are 4,500 job vacancies in Ireland, yet 400,0000 people are unemployed. The reason for that is that we have not educated our people well enough in the skills that are now needed. It seems farcical and is something we should debate in the House. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, will come before the House tomorrow for a different debate, which is not the occasion for such a debate. It would be a worthy debate to have. There is an item in a newspaper today about an Irish company set up by an Irish man which employs, I understand, 40 people. It has moved to Poland because the owner could not get the necessary skills in Ireland for his high-tech business.

Surely this should not be allowed to happen. The presentation to the joint committee points out that the problem is arising within the education system, usually at second level. We should be able to do something about it. The matter is worthy of debate in this House in the very near future.