Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the abysmal delivery of apprenticeships by the Government. Last week, a well choreographed national development plan, NDP, was rolled out in Sligo with a promise of large-scale capital projects being rolled out nationwide. The truth is, however, that these will never be delivered because there is a huge shortage of labour in the country not just in the construction industry, but throughout the health service, the Army and the education sector to name a few. The apprenticeship figures relating to the construction industry tell their own tale. New apprenticeship registrations are 58% behind 2017 targets while only 1% of all apprentices are female. My colleague, Deputy Niall Collins, reported an alarming statistic in respect of the take-up of apprenticeships. In 2017, there were only 121 bricklayers and 63 plasterers with no apprentices in floor and wall tiling. With these numbers in the pipelines, the Government must take us for fools. Where it will get the labour to build all the ambitious projects in the NDP? I would like a Minister to come to the House to describe how it will do same.

The second issue I wish to raise relates to the Government's strategic communications unit. The Taoiseach confirmed during Leaders' Questions earlier today that departmental officials were in charge of the advertising spend for the 2040 development plan.I would like to know why Department officials authorised Fine Gael election candidates to be included in Department advertising across national and regional newspapers nationwide. It is hard to accept that the Government's strategic partnership arrangements form some sort of arm's length political advertising transaction between the Government and newspapers. I know the Leader has in his possession today various articles from Fianna Fáil Government's and the Fianna Fáil-Green Party coalition, but these are in fact identified clearly as advertising articles, which is completely contrary to what the current Government is doing with the strategic communications unit. It is clear the Government is using State funds to fund the Fine Gael political machine. This is wrong; it is not right. State funds should not be used as a public relations vehicle for An Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, or the wider Fine Gael Party.

The final issue I would like to raise concerns the storm which we know is on its way from the east. We need to ensure that the Government has made plans for those who are most vulnerable, particularly the elderly and those living alone. We need to ensure that there is adequate emergency accommodation for rough sleepers, that there is grit on our roads for those who have to use our road services, that emergency waterworks provisions are in place and that proper instructions on working times are given to the public. I understand one Minister of State asked people to keep their heat on full blast for the period. However, this is a big call when one does not have the money to pay one's heating bills. In this vein, I call on the Government, as many of our colleagues in the Dáil have done, to commit to provide an extra week of the fuel allowance on foot of this bad weather in order that people, if they are directed to leave their fuel on by Government Ministers, have the money to do so. This is a very important issue and I would like to hear the Leader's response to it. I also call on the Minister to direct the local authorities to leave the heating on for those living in local authority housing schemes who have communal heating schemes.