asked the Minister for Labour if he is aware that apprenticeship courses normally available in the construction trades at the Dublin Training Centre will not be commencing this year due to the large number of second, third and fourth year redundant apprentices and that the first year course has been postponed indefinitely; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Apprenticeship Courses.
26.
As a result of the situation in the construction industry considerable numbers of existing apprentices in the building trades, particularly in the Dublin area, have become unemployed or redundant and employers in the industry are reluctant to sponsor apprentices on first year off-the-job courses. Consequently it has been decided, as a temporary measure, after consultation with the Industrial Training Committees representative of unions and employers, to divert resources from first year off-the-job courses in the Dublin Training Centre to the provision of training for apprentices who are out of work.
Does that not prove that there are serious problems in the building industry? Despite the answers we have been getting from the Minister for Local Government regarding the building industry is the Minister not aware now of the apprenticeship situation being an adequate barometer to show that problems exist there? Might I now ask the Minister for Labour if he would at last advise the Minister for Local Government that what we have been saying for so long is correct?
Question No. 27.
Seeing that the Minister for Labour has not seen fit to answer, could he tell us what plans his Department are making for the reemployment of apprentices made redundant in the building trade?
As I have already pointed out to the Deputy, the position in the construction industry and its peculiar nature is that any problems there cast long shadows before and especially into the area of apprenticeship training. There is this problem of apprentices in the industry. The Minister for Local Government has been talking about his undoubted achievement in building more local authority houses this year and last year than in any other period since the second world war. I think Deputies will agree that is an achievement in conditions of the present world recession.
The remaining questions will appear on next week's Order Paper, except for answers which Deputies may require and which they may obtain on application from the General Office.