Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the areas that have been highlighted as having skills shortages by the skills and labour market research unit such as business administration and management, the green economy, financial services, information technology, manufacturing, engineering, sales, marketing and transport; his plans to tackle these skills shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10683/17]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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The SOLAS Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) is one of a number of research sources that identifies specific skills needs in different sectors in our economy.

The work of the SLMRU has been invaluable  in the development and implementation of a range of strategies including the ongoing SOLAS Further Education and Training Strategy, the National Skills Strategy 2025, and The Action Plan for Education, which was launched in September 2016.

The National Skills Council will oversee research and provide advice on the prioritisation of identified skills needs and how to secure the delivery of identified needs. Information from the SLMRU will be critical for the work of the Council.

In addition the SLMRU research provides an input to the work of the Regional Skills Fora where education and training providers engage with enterprise to identify regional skills needs and devise responses to them.

The skills needs identified through all of these processes inform the allocation of resources and the planning of education and training provision.