asked the Minister for Labour the measures, if any, his Department have for the alleviation of unemployment amongst teenagers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Teenage Unemployment.
31.
The National Manpower Service of my Department is concerned to find suitable employment for teenagers as for other age groups among the unemployed. Special arrangements exist to assist teenagers who are interested in apprenticeships while unemployed teenagers over 18 years of age with no special qualifications are encouraged to undergo an AnCO retraining course with a view to improving their employment prospects. The career leaflets published by my Department are also intended specially for young people leaving school.
Is the Minister aware that the AnCO training programme is not providing the opportunities or the necessary training for these young people? They are training semi-skilled workers who cannot obtain employment. I brought this to the attention of AnCO and they agreed that that is so. I suggest the Minister should inquire from AnCO and get this information for himself. These young people are being trained as semi-skilled workers. They are not getting the training required by firms in Dublin and AnCO are actually sending out semi-skilled men. The firms require fully skilled men. So this is a lot of bunkum.
I do not accept that.
It is a lot of bunkum to say——
I am calling Question No. 32.
——that AnCO is carrying out a training programme.
I have called Question No. 32.
Sir, this is Question Time and we are entitled to ask questions.
And the Deputy should not monopolise Question Time. There are other Deputies who have questions down.
If the time is too short we will make more time available.
I suggest that the Deputy allow other Deputies to ask their questions. The Deputy had an opportunity and he made a speech. I am calling Question No. 32.