Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, well and a full recovery. Perhaps the Minister, Deputy Quinn, will deliver my message.

The structural reform of further education and training must be recognised as unprecedented in scale and potential impact. It will affect the lives of all current and future students. It will affect the future economic growth of the nation, the working lives of many people in the VECs and up to 750 working in the FÁS training centres, which will become part of the new education and training boards. This legislation may be outside the scope of finance Bills but to me it is certainly the most important to come to the Houses of the Oireachtas in this Government's term. It will have long-lasting effects on the future of our country.

We must recognise that most of the people who worked in FÁS, and previously in AnCO, have contributed well. I am reminded of Hamlet, who said, “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio”. We will not lament the brand but we must distinguish between the brand and the majority of the people who are associated with it.

The Minister mentioned the VECs and their incorporation into the new 16 education and training boards. The 33 VECs will be no more. At one stage, there were 41 or 42 VECs. I attended the last meeting of County Louth VEC as a guest last Thursday evening. I was a member of the body for years. Had I not been appointed to the Seanad through the generosity - we will not talk about the perspicacity – of the Taoiseach, I would have been the last chairman of County Louth VEC. I have a great affinity with the VECs and the work they all did. Mr. Michael Moriarty, head of the IVEA, gave me a book on the history of the VECs. It is a big tome but I have been reading it and am very impressed. I congratulate the VECs on their work down through the years. The Minister may be aware that the CEO of County Louth VEC, Dr. Padraig Kirk, has been appointed to head up the new junior certificate implementation programme. The Minister always thinks in terms of integration. The new programme is a very important part of the process of reform and restructuring, particularly in terms of numeracy and literacy, which we talked about. We wish Mr. Kirk well and know he will do a good job.

This Bill is about the establishment of SOLAS to oversee education and training as an integrated network. The crucial role that education, further education and training will play in the future of our young people, and indeed for everyone in this country, cannot be overestimated. I believe everybody should be training all the time. Perhaps I am particularly aware of the need for training at present because of the proposal to abolish the Seanad. I am in training for a number of future roles I may have to take up. The levity is there, but the reality in this day and age is that everybody has to continue to train even while working. In addition to assisting the unemployed, I hope SOLAS will facilitate lifelong learning for the employed. That would be a crucial thing for me. Everybody knows it is easier to get a job when one is in a job than when one is out of work. One should always be preparing for one's next position while one is in one's current position. Senator Power is laughing. I know what she is preparing for.