asked the Minister for Labour the steps being taken by his Department to provide training for the youth of the country who cannot find even part-time employment.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Youth Training.
16.
About 2,000 youths are being trained at present by AnCO and CERT, the majority of them on craft courses. In addition, CERT have trained 750 young people this year for seasonal employment in the hotel and catering industry.
As we are facing a rather unusual situation this year in relation to the employment of these young people, would the Minister consider getting together with his colleague, the Minister for Education, AnCO and the teachers' organisation to provide a two-month educational course for these young people for which they would be given some payment? Unless we take some serious action and show that we do care and want to do something for them we may pay for it very dearly afterwards.
Already we have been holding short courses around the country to provide what we refer to as inductions to industry courses, but I agree this is not a sufficient response to the situation with which the Deputy is concerned. At present the training facilities, which is my direct responsibility, are not open to those who have had no previous work experience. We are attempting to change those regulations so that people who in the present recession have not had the opportunity of having a job can enjoy the training facilities which other workers enjoy at present. Though our response has not been totally adequate to the serious problem before us, I think it is only fair to say that we are spending more money on training than we have ever spent before. The officials in my Department both at European level and here at home are continuing their efforts to see how young people, in particular, can be helped at present.
The Minister said we are spending more money on training than ever before, which is quite true. We are also spending more money on food than ever before but we are not getting more food. It is the same with employment.
A question Deputy, please.
Would the Minister try to do something this year for these young people?
I know the Deputy's exhortations are sincerely meant, but it is a problem that concerns me very much indeed. We shall continue all efforts to see how, within existing regulations, we can get both the assistance of the European Social Fund and of local Exchequer resources in order to provide worthwhile training for young people so that they can begin their working careers with some level of skill once international conditions pick up.
In view of statements made in this House and articles written in the newspapers, is the Minister satisfied that we are getting all we are entitled to under the European Social Fund, or is there some part of that fund that we can now avail of?
That is a separate question.
While it is a separate question, a Cheann Comhairle, I can reassure the Deputy to this extent that it is believed by the Industrial Development Authority, which is the agency principally concerned here, that the 1969 Industrial Development Act, which is admittedly narrower in scope than the provisions of the European Social Fund—which permits of facilities of cash going for depreciation purposes —provides arrangements which give the utmost benefit to the Irish economy in our situation. That continues to be their view, but it is a separate question, and if the Deputy puts down a question on it at another time, we can come back to it.
Is it true to say that moneys could be available to us, say, for Bord na Móna development——
This is a distinct and separate matter and must be raised at another time.
I am not trying to brush the Deputy's questions aside, but they involve such questions as IDA allowances for depreciation, so that it would be impossible to give a yes or no answer as sought by the Deputy.
I shall put down another question.