Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response. The takeaway from that is that the funding call for PEACE PLUS is about to be announced. I welcome that. The PEACE PLUS cross-Border initiative is amazing and fantastic and we need to tap into it. We can mutually benefit from that cross-Border relationship. I also acknowledge the ongoing work with SOLAS. That is important and I am delighted to hear it.

The Minister of State also mentioned healthcare assistant practitioners, of which we have a shortage. That is a noble profession with skills and we need to acknowledge and support them with respect to training and pay.

Before coming to the House, I had a call from a person in the construction education sector who told me there were now approximately 9,000 students doing leaving certificate construction studies. I do not want to hold the individual in question to that exact number. These students chose to do construction studies at secondary level, which indicates there is an interest. I ask that we ascertain whether students leaving secondary school having taken construction studies are being matched up to apprenticeships. It is not a question of it being a job. We want people who are motivated and keen. I ask that synergy or connectivity between the Department and the secondary school sector be explored further.