Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join with the father of the House in extending my sympathy to the family of the late Mervyn Taylor, a Trojan, progressive politician who was very brave, as was Senator Norris. Our country is a better place today because of Mervyn Taylor's time in office and I pay tribute to him.

I ask the Deputy Leader for a debate on the future of work in the context of the living wage, the minimum wage and the fact that we are facing significant labour shortages in our service and hospitality industries, to name but two. If one talks to those who work in those industries and owners of businesses, one will find that they are very worried about the future of work in our country and the availability of staff. It would cause all of us to pose questions and reflect on the real reason for the shortage of work. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has commissioned a very important strategy around apprenticeships. We have seen many services with reduced services and limited opening hours and availability because they do not have the personnel. This nation is very much dependent on tourism. I ask for that debate on work - if possible before the budget but if not, in the context of the budget debate in coming weeks.