Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We need to have an informed debate on the issue, which is multi-layered. It is about housing, the employment element, affordability and the ingredients we need to encourage people to return here. In a ten-year period that lost generation found themselves in a position where they had to emigrate. We are facing issues here in terms of skill sets for building houses and so on. Many of those with the necessary skills are now living abroad. I would like to see them return here. I ask the Leader and the Cathaoirleach to facilitate a debate on the young diaspora living in Australia, America, Canada and the United Kingdom who might look to return to Ireland. That would include issues such as the diaspora, housing, employment and education. We need to have that debate because we are reaching full employment here.

On another aspect of this issue and going back to the point made by Senator O'Donnell, because we are nearing full employment those who were long-term unemployed are now getting jobs, many of which are unskilled. We need to examine a model whereby the people get back into employment but upskill while they are in that employment. They will then be re-established in the workforce but they can look up the value chain, so to speak, in terms of jobs. We are in a different sphere now. Ireland is doing well and we have full employment, but that brings its own issues. We are not talking about jobs but about people being able to afford their own homes.