Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his presentation, to which I listened in my office. I assure him that I am not running here to say something without having heard what he had to say. I thank him for coming into the House and wish to point out that it was me who requested his attendance to discuss the national training fund, NTF, in the wake of the publication by the Government of the expenditure report for 2018 which sets out some exciting, challenging and aspirational ideas. Many of the ideas contained therein make perfect sense. This morning I printed a copy of the wonderful press release from the Government, dated 17 May 2018, which referred to a review, which is important, and the need for ongoing training. I do not doubt for one moment the Minister of State's commitment. I know that he is a very keen advocate of apprenticeships, traineeships, internships and gaining work experience more generally. We all learn in different ways and not everyone is academic. Some are skilled with their head, while others are skilled with their hands. The profession of baker is as noble as that of a stock broker, if not more so.

We must consider the shortage of certain skill sets. We know that there are major issues in agriculture and farming. There are lots of people who are trying to get into the dairy sector, but there is a shortage of skilled personnel. People can be trained and acquire the necessary skills through apprenticeships. It is all about matching people's skills, capacities and abilities. Everyone wants to have a job to bring home a crust. That is normal and the Government is committed to supporting them in that endeavour.

We face a significant challenge in the form of the housing crisis. Everyone understands and recognises the importance of Rebuilding Ireland in that context. If the targets set in it are to be reached, we will have to start training and upskilling people in the construction sector as there is a need for more qualified electricians, plumbers and others with construction related skills. Representatives of the Construction Industry Federation, CIF, have appeared on numerous occasions before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government, of which I am a member. The federation has expressed serious concerns about the shortage of skilled workers. It has also pointed to the need to upskill many involved in the sector. The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine was in the House yesterday to discuss forestry, a sector in which there are shortages of certain skilled workers too. We must find ways to make progress in these areas.

In the aforementioned press release the Government sets itself major targets. I am not going to start to throw lots of figures at the Minister of State, but I draw attention to the reference to the allocation of €182 million for ETB programmes, €122 million for apprenticeships and €37 million in additional funding for labour market focused courses at higher level. The Minister of State also referred to an additional allocation of €30 million for Springboard courses and €21 million for Skillnet Ireland. I am not interested in analysing the figures now because we are all singing from the same hymn sheet and all agree that there is a need to upskill workers and match their capacity to areas in the economy in which there are skill shortages.

I thank the Minister of State for his time. I urge him not to lose sight of the fact that everyone is entitled to have a job and should have equal access to employment opportunities. If that requires the provision of additional training and supports, the Government must not be found wanting. We must remember the people on the margins, particularly those in receipt of social welfare payments. Many of them could be meaningfully employed on a part-time basis and contribute to society through community employment initiatives run by local authorities, for example. We must determine if their skills can be matched, where practical and possible, to meaningful opportunities and whether they can be provided with additional resources and specialised, supportive training to enable them to get on.Everyone has to play his or her part. I thank the Minister of State for it. We should have an annual review of how this programme is going, but the Minister of State has done well.