asked the Minister for Labour if he will introduce legislation to amend the Industrial Training Act, 1967, to provide for the setting up of a farm training board to provide effective general and apprenticeship training for farm workers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farm Training Board.
20.
I am not at present contemplating an amendment of the Industrial Training Act on the lines suggested by the Deputy.
Would the Minister give some information as to why he is not doing so?
Agricultural training at the moment is in the hands of county committees who operate pilot schemes, courses and scholarships and have at their disposal various instructors. I understand that the scheme is being stepped up. I could foresee circumstances in the near future in which our Industrial Training Act might have to undertake some section of the work in relation to agricultural work.
Surely the Minister must be aware that farm apprenticeship training is not being carried out on the scale which was intended, that, in fact, the only one that is in operation excludes everybody except sons of farmers and is it not a fact that sons of farm labourers and others who may be very anxious to become farm apprentices are unable to do so because they do not qualify? Does the Minister not agree that it would be a reasonable thing in an agricultural country to have a fairly wide scope for the training of farm apprentices?
I am in touch with the agricultural department with regard to training.