Deputy Corry gave notice that he would raise the subject matter of Question No. 25 on to-day's Order Paper on the Adjournment.
Committee on Finance. - Adjournment Debate-Naval Dockyard Apprenticeship Scheme.
To-day I asked the Minister for Defence "if he is now prepared to give particulars of the apprenticeship scheme for the Naval Dockyard, Haulbowline, as promised to Cobh Vocational School in his Department's letter of 31st January, 1952." The Minister, in reply, said:—
"The question of the establishment of an apprenticeship scheme in the Naval Dockyard, Haulbowline, is still under consideration.
It will be appreciated that until such time as consultations with the different interests involved have taken place it would not be possible to give particulars of the scheme.
I am endeavouring to have consideration of this matter expedited."
I am raising this matter because it has dragged on from 1951. It was raised in this House in January, 1952. It has been continually raised since by question after question with practically the same reply being given on all occasions, that the other interests were being consulted.
Apprenticeship in Haulbowline Dockyard is practically a tradition in the town of Cobh. During the British period some 50 apprentices were taken in each year for training and those apprentices learned their trade well. I might also say that the vast majority of those men afterwards had a very fine national service record during the Black-and-Tan trouble in this country. One would think, now that we have our own naval base at Haulbowline, that there would be no difficulty in the Government providing the same opportunities to-day for our young people to get trained in skilled trades as were provided by the foreigner, particularly when we find that skilled men for the navy even at present must be recruited from abroad.
I do not know what is holding up this scheme. My purpose in raising the matter is simply to help out the Minister if I can and to smooth out any difficulties, if such exist. As one who represents the people of Cobh, I am entitled to know what trade union is raising objections to this scheme.Each year some 40 to 50 young boys are turned out by the Cobh Technical School and they have to make their way in the world. There would be an excellent opportunity at the naval dockyard at Haulbowline for training at least 20 of those boys each year as apprentices so that the Irish Navy would not in future be dependent upon getting artisans from another country.
As I have said, I am only anxious to help out in any way I can but as one who has represented the people of Cobh for the past 26 years, I cannot understand why those boys have to go abroad each year to learn a trade they could learn at home. I would ask the Minister to let us know what is in the way, what is stopping this scheme and how soon he hopes to have those obstacles overcome.
I do not wish, at this late hour, to delay the House on this matter. I am simply putting the case as I know it, and I am appealing to the Minister to let us have a decision on it. If there are trade unions objecting, then, as I have said, the people of Cobh are entitled to know what trade union is depriving them of their bread and butter and their young boys of the opportunity of learning their trade. I am, as I say, putting the case as I know it to the Minister for his decision.
I must confess to a certain amount of surprise in respect to the tabling ofthis question by Deputy Corry, because, in an interview which I had with him on this subject, I thought that I had fully explained the situation to him. For that reason, I did not expect that this question was going to be tabled. I gave him the reply which he has read out. At the end of that reply, I stated that "I am endeavouring to have consideration of this matter expedited." I want to assure the Deputy that everything that I can do in that respect is being done, but a certain stage must be reached in these discussions. When that stage is reached, it will be necessary to have consultations with the various trade unions concerned and with the Cork vocational authorities. No trade union that I am aware of is holding up this question of apprenticeship. It is purely a matter of administration. We all know that question of this kind relating to various Departments are put down from time to time without securing an immediately successful reply. This is a case in point, and it does not mean that the Minister concerned is not endeavouring to do his best to secure the result which the Deputy is seeking. I have been doing that, and I cannot add anything further to it. As far as I am concerned, I will do everything I can to expedite a decision. I cannot do any more than that.
Surely it did not take two years for the discussions.
The Dáil adjourned at 11.10 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 11th November, 1953.